Corvette Online » Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com
Dedicated to America's Sports CarFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:53:20 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Edmunds.com Tests the New Z51 Stingray Against Nissan’s GT-Rhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/edmunds-com-tests-the-new-z51-stingray-against-nissans-gt-r/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=edmunds-com-tests-the-new-z51-stingray-against-nissans-gt-r
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/edmunds-com-tests-the-new-z51-stingray-against-nissans-gt-r/#commentsTue, 30 Jul 2013 16:24:30 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=184398Edmunds.com has done all of us a great service by test driving some of the market’s best in terms of cars, trucks and pretty much anything else that can be technically called a motor vehicle. They’ve also tested some of the supercar market’s best, and this goes for the American stuff as much as it does their international competitors.

As you already know, Corvette really is our favorite sports car, and for that simple reason, we try to hold our nation’s flagship vehicle up to an even higher standard, one that is worthy of the auto performance market on a scale that is more global now than ever.

One of the most recent supercar creations to come from across the Pacific was Nissan’s flagship GT-R, a piece of Japanese auto engineering that’s proven to be as heavy and temperamental as it is fast. But what is “fast?” Everyone forms an opinion and everyone has a story behind why they deem a certain car or truck to be “fast,” but how do the numbers themselves add-up when it comes to one of our industry’s most profound cross-comparisons: GM’s new C7 Stingray and the twin-turbo GT-R that, just a few years back, put Nissan on the supercar map?

Nissan's twin-turbocharged GT-R is one of the most remarkable flagships to come out of Japan, but it's substantially heavier, more expensive and far more touchy than the Z51 Stingray for 2014.

The answer to the dangling question can be found behind the wheel of both sleds, and we’re lucky enough to have Edmunds’Josh Jacquot and Mike Monticello to show us just how that’s done. Needless to say, the results from both the import and domestic ends were really something to see.

With its more than 3,800-pound curb weight and twin-blown, 545 horsepower 3.8-liter mill, Nissan’s ’13 GT-R has had the benefit of five model year’s worth of development, picking up more power, improved durability, and a steeper price tag along the way. However, there are some glitches that Mike Monticello was able to find within the Nissan super sled.

Among the Nissan’s biggest drawbacks are its whale-like weight and pain-in-the-ass traction control, an electronic system that at times just decides that it’s going to “magically” bomb out of nowhere. Monticello was able to observe that the 545-horse Nissan grabbed on to some massive engine speed and booked when working properly, but again this was only when “working properly.”

GM's new Stingray for 2014 is significantly lower in price than Nissan's GT-R, plus significantly lighter in weight. Not only this, but it delivers a way cooler sound when you hit the throttle!

Otherwise, Edmunds.com found that not only did GM’s current Z51 Stingray offer a better driving experience, but it did so for a substantially-lower sticker price. This, of course, was not saying anything to justify the C7’s $68,000 price tag, but in comparison to Tokyo’s $97k rice burner, GM’s Stingray was smellin’ pretty darn good!

So is the GT-R a smart buy for the performance car enthusiast who’s looking to buy a Ferrari killer for the streets? If you’re a Project JDM fan or just like Japanese muscle overall, and spending nearly $100 grand on a Nissan is your thing, then okay. But dollar-for-dollar is it the absolute “best” plan of action? The answer to that, as we’ve learned from Edmunds, is probably not!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/edmunds-com-tests-the-new-z51-stingray-against-nissans-gt-r/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/gvs-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/gvs-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/gvs-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/gvs-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/gvs-300x200.jpgWhat You May Not Know About The C7 Stingray For 2014http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/what-you-may-not-know-about-the-c7-stingray-for-2014/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-you-may-not-know-about-the-c7-stingray-for-2014
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/what-you-may-not-know-about-the-c7-stingray-for-2014/#commentsTue, 23 Jul 2013 16:07:28 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/what-you-may-not-know-about-the-c7-stingray-for-2014/If the Corvette fanbase has been waiting for GM to build an answer to the world’s supercar craze, than that fanbase’s search has clearly ended with the introduction of the latest development of the Vette marque, the C7 Stingray that’s sure to sweep Vette fans off their feet for the 2014 production year.

The C7 brings to the table one of the most radical changes in Corvette styling and architecture that we’ve seen in a long time. Any of you who have been following our coverage of the C7 over the course of this year already know darn well that this is GM’s finest flagship to date, but what you may not know is that the latest Vette also brings with it a host of performance and other technological cornerstones, those that should prove to make the Stingray for 2014 one of the General’s best historically.

The latest member of the Vette family, the C7 Stingray for 2014 features such high-tech goodies as Performance Traction Management, along with sensor-controlled ABS and an electronic differential.

MacDonald is responsible for the development of the C7’s Performance Traction Management system, that same system of traction control that was used by Jim Mero in the C6 ZR1 to set a 7 minute and 19 second lap record for the car at Nurburgring.

One fascinating advance in vehicle dynamics control that’s being implemented with the new Stingray is in the use of the car’s tire pressure/temperature sensors to control the car’s ABS and electronic differential. The way that this essentially works is that the Vette’s electronics divide tire temperature into three categories: “cold,” “warm” and “hot.”

Putting it simply, the C7’s onboard sensors make the ABS and differential either more or less responsive/aggressive, depending on tire temperatures. Because this system doesn’t measure tire temperature directly, deducing it from the temperature of the TPMS microprocessor in each wheel, it’s one strategy that has not yet been perfected, but as Jacquot points out, the Stingray’s monitoring system is a vital piece of data collection technology. Jacquot also highlights new Michelin tire technology, active noise cancellation, and 24 hour durability testing in his look behind the scenes.

Indeed, the C7 has become a high-tech milestone for General Motors. The latest member of the Vette family has brought us a host of computerized goodies that are more than cool, but what should be the most interesting is to see just how such innovations as smart differentials and suspension components will inevitably change the very face of Corvette’s road and track legacy!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/what-you-may-not-know-about-the-c7-stingray-for-2014/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/Stingray-1-400x228.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/Stingray-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/Stingray-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/Stingray-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/Stingray-1-300x171.jpgeBay Find: PPR’s Twin-Turbo, Standing-Mile C5 Le Mans Z06http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ebay-find-pprs-twin-turbo-standing-mile-c5-le-mans-z06/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ebay-find-pprs-twin-turbo-standing-mile-c5-le-mans-z06
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ebay-find-pprs-twin-turbo-standing-mile-c5-le-mans-z06/#commentsMon, 15 Jul 2013 20:49:30 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=181624Performance Power Racing out of West Palm Beach, Florida was started 5 years ago by John Boehmer as a mainstream speed shop. Boehmer himself had previously been successful in various corners of the mechanical and industrial market, but as he developed PPR and his own thumb for the automotive craft, it became clear that Johnny’s obsession with everything motor was actually zeroing-in on the art of top speed.

For this very reason, PPR grew and evolved as Boehmer’s own personal skunk works, and from that factory there have been at least a few high-speed creations that have set forth onto to the standing-mile scene. One of their most prominent standing-mile sleds was a twin-turbo Ford GT that was initiated in January of 2009 as a car built specifically to break the 250 mile per hour barrier. John Boehmer’s GT creation would certainly not be his last attempt at kicking some ass in the standing mile.

That’s because PPR was responsible for the construction of our featured eBay find, an extremely fast and rare Le Mans edition Z06, featuring a twin-turbo package unique to the C5 that originally was good for 525 horses on the dyno. The original buyer of this fast Z06 had brought it to PPR with an upgrade that was good for somewhere in the 1,000 brake horsepower range, but it soon became clear that the Vette owner’s intention was to build a standing-mile racer that was also street legal.

For these very purposes, PPR helped the fast C5 to establish a balance between streetable horsepower and outright, unadulterated top speed. With a few tweaks that were born from a process of elimination, combined with an undying need for optimum performance, PPR accomplished just that.

While bidding topped out at a below-reserve $28,100, we think that this car could still be a screaming bargain for someone looking for the ultimate in turnkey Corvette speed.

Is our eBay find the world’s fastest C5? We’ll let you make the call, but if not then it’s damn close!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ebay-find-pprs-twin-turbo-standing-mile-c5-le-mans-z06/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/PPR-1-400x256.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/PPR-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/PPR-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/PPR-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/07/PPR-1-300x192.jpgGM’s Ordering Process for the 2014 Corvette Stingray Has Begunhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gms-ordering-process-for-the-2014-corvette-stingray-has-begun/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gms-ordering-process-for-the-2014-corvette-stingray-has-begun
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gms-ordering-process-for-the-2014-corvette-stingray-has-begun/#commentsTue, 04 Jun 2013 20:46:12 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=172556Apparently, ordering a brand new car is never a truly “easy” process,” and it appears to be especially true when the new car in question actually represents a brand new generation of a very old marque. GM proudly unveiled the latest version of the Corvette lineup earlier this year, but how you will be able to get your hands on one is a matter of jumping through hoops.

That’s because Corvette Blogger and Kerbeck Corvette’s Dave Salvatore have laid out the “ordering consensus” timeline for the ’14 Stingray, and from what we can see so far, one must be very patient in order to get one’s hands on what could be the best Vette yet. The C7’s ordering consensus period began a couple of weeks back on May 23rd, and according to Kerbeck and Dave Salvatore, it was set to be a two-week process.

At the dealership end of the spectrum, Chevy shops were able to prioritize their car orders by May 30th, having GM pick these up directly from the source. All bank orders on the new C7s had to be submitted by the first of June, and dealers had until the 4th of this month to make reasonable changes to all picked-up orders.

All C7 orders picked-up by General during the first week of the car’s consensus period did not see any order sale changes until the 5th of this month, and any orders at number 1,100 by that point did not get picked-up during the consensus’ first week. For the orders that have been received, GM may start giving dealers approximate assembly dates on the cars, but Kerbeck in particular has not yet begun to take deposits on the new Stingray.

GM also makes it clear to their dealers that assembly dates are always flexible and can easily change, as assembly line, quality control and other factors can bog down the assembly process. It goes without saying, then, that good things really do take time. Is the new generation of Vette for 2014 worth the wait to you?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gms-ordering-process-for-the-2014-corvette-stingray-has-begun/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/06/C7-1-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/06/C7-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/06/C7-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/06/C7-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/06/C7-1-300x225.jpgGM Publishes Official Torque and Horsepower Numbers for the C7 Coupehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gm-publishes-official-torque-and-horsepower-numbers-for-the-c7-coupe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gm-publishes-official-torque-and-horsepower-numbers-for-the-c7-coupe
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gm-publishes-official-torque-and-horsepower-numbers-for-the-c7-coupe/#commentsTue, 28 May 2013 15:51:05 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=170415The 2014 Corvette Stingray, since its unveiling, has proven to be one of the most dramatic changes in the Corvette lineup since the introduction of the previous C6, quite a few years back. Earlier this year on an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” Leno himself described the C7 as being one of the General’s most significant Vette manifestations in a long time, saying, “It’s probably the most dramatic change in Corvettes since they went from the mid-’60s, Mako Shark to the C6,” says Leno.

A celebrity Vette enthusiast who takes the sport marque as seriously as we do, Leno says that one of his favorite features of the C7 is the way that its overall styling creates a unique, Euro-American fusion. “Corvettes look American, but this looks like a hybrid of American technology with some very kind of European, sexy styling,” says Leno of the C7’s all-new architecture.

Jay Leno is excited about the introduction of the C7 Stingray and so are we, and ever since images of and rumors about the latest member of the Vette family have started to leak out, we’ve made every effort possible to make this information known to our readers. Up until this point, however, we had no official horsepower or torque figures on the ’14 Vette, as all that had been publicly promised for the LT1 was “at least 450″ ponies.

Thanks to GM, however, we can now safely assume that the fixed numbers on the C7 in coupe form are 455 horses with 460 feet pounds of twist, numbers that come to us directly to us from the General’s media site. These statistics so far are the ones accepted as the “final” authority, and according to one of Corvette7’s site administrators, this is because the “EST,” or “estimated” acronyms remain next to the convertible’s figures, while the coupe’s are etched in stone.

It goes without saying that the C7 has brought a series of firsts to the Vette nameplate, among these being a Euro-influenced eye for styling, a refined interior space and the reintroduction of GM’s “LT” engine code. While we’re not sure what the future will be for Corvette, from what we’ve seen so far it’s looking pretty good!

UPDATE: Per media.GM.com, the SAE-certified numbers are 460 horsepower (343 kW) at 6,000 RPM and 465 lb-ft of torque (630 Nm) at 4,600 RPM, with the available performance exhaust system. The Stingray is SAE-certified at 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 460 lb-ft (624 Nm) with the standard exhaust system.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/gm-publishes-official-torque-and-horsepower-numbers-for-the-c7-coupe/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/05/Stingray-3-400x218.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/05/Stingray-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/05/Stingray-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/05/Stingray-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/05/Stingray-3-300x163.jpg2014 Stingray Interior Gets a Badly-Needed Updatehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/2014-stingray-interior-gets-a-badly-needed-update/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2014-stingray-interior-gets-a-badly-needed-update
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/2014-stingray-interior-gets-a-badly-needed-update/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2013 21:04:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=165731One of the primary concerns that existed among Vette enthusiasts with regard to the previous C5 and C6 were their interiors; in comparison to many of their Euro contemporaries, the lasts two manifestations of the Corvette marque had interior spaces that looked rather cheap.

GM and Corvette designer Helen Emsley has been just as concerned as we have, and being that General gave her the task of working on the upcoming C7, her career with the corporation is anything but a side note. As we learn from AOL Autos, that’s because Emsley is in charge of the ’14 Vette’s interior design, and far from being “effeminate,” she made sure that the Stingray’s interior provided a jet cockpit feel, without sacrificing room for a passenger.

Helen Emsley’s career with GM actually started in Europe for Opel, and her natural talent for interior design was extended to Australia for Holden. For the last 14 years, Emsley has been dedicated to GM here on the home soil in Detroit, and ironically, it’s her being British, with what she describes as having “no history with an American icon,” that she thinks actually got her in good with the General.

But don’t think for a second that the newest generation of America’s sports car is going to be butchered. As a matter of fact, Emsley made sure that the C7’s interior was made from only real leather, carbon fiber and other premium-grade materials. This in spite of her fears that headlines would chastise the Vette marquee for utilizing the skills of a woman engineer.

The United States is a nation that stands for cross-culturalism and the chance for everyone’s work to stand on its own merit; why should our favorite sports car be any different?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/2014-stingray-interior-gets-a-badly-needed-update/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Emsley-1-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Emsley-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Emsley-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Emsley-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Emsley-1-300x168.jpgThursday Tuning: “Little Red Corvette” By Princehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/thursday-tuning-little-red-corvette-by-prince/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thursday-tuning-little-red-corvette-by-prince
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/thursday-tuning-little-red-corvette-by-prince/#commentsThu, 11 Apr 2013 22:27:53 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/thursday-tuning-little-red-corvette-by-prince/The 1980s was a bit different for music. It wasn’t exactly a decade filled with music that was overt in sex and/or violence. We imagine it would have been pretty difficult to write fairly strong themed music during a decade where the “worst” video game plot was of a little yellow ball and his girlfriend, eating-up little white dots.

But other than the artist at that time known as Prince, the most charismatic frontmen of the hairspray decade were David Lee Roth, along with a talking mouse from Northern California and his pseudo-human band of misfits, who just so happened to give the “Noid” and Domino’s a run for their money.

During his heyday in the ’80s, Prince was notorious for writing sexually suggestive lyrics. Duran Duran may have followed suit during the decade with the little bits of “X-rated” trinkets that they dropped into their songs, but with his 1983 hit, “Little Red Corvette,” Prince wrote his first hit that was clever enough to be erotic, without being outright down and dirty.

Michael Jackson was the first to break the color barrier on MTV with “Billie Jean,” but Prince still managed to become one of the first black artists to receive regular airtime on the then popular music video network. “Little Red Corvette” was a pop rock musician’s celebration of America’s favorite sports car, as well as the social and cultural suggestions that follow.

Prince came up with the idea for the piece while dozing in and out of sleep inside of backup singer, Lisa Coleman’s pink Edsel, and for the Artist, “Little Red Corvette” led to a commercially successful recording career that led to a line of equally successful, live performances.

A genius move, or the child of half-ass behavior? Either way you look at it, Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” will always be the anthem that stands for more than just a sports car!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/thursday-tuning-little-red-corvette-by-prince/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Red-Vette-1-Thesupercars.org_-400x153.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Red-Vette-2-Corvetteforum.com_-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Red-Vette-2-Corvetteforum.com_-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Red-Vette-2-Corvetteforum.com_-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Red-Vette-2-Corvetteforum.com_-300x196.jpgVideo: Road & Track Pits a ’13 ZR1 Against a ’67 Lotus 49 F1 Carhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-road-track-pits-a-13-zr1-against-a-67-lotus-49-f1-car/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-road-track-pits-a-13-zr1-against-a-67-lotus-49-f1-car
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-road-track-pits-a-13-zr1-against-a-67-lotus-49-f1-car/#commentsTue, 09 Apr 2013 16:53:36 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=164957Over the course of a single decade, Grand Prix cars evolved from the front-motored Ferrari 246 that won the Monza Grand Prix in 1960, to the more contemporary winged warriors that we most often associate with the professional motorsport today. Aerodynamics of course did become of paramount concern to the sport, but it was the 1.5-liter displacement limit, established by the circuit during the ’61 racing season, that really brought on chassis and suspension development for the formula cars.

This is because Lotus’ Colin Chapman and others, with the strict engine size limit enacted, were forced to switch to car undercarriages as their primary focus. Indeed, of all of the 1960s’ Grand Prix players, it was Chapman and Lotus who developed the monocoque-style chassis that would replace the conventional space frame, allowing for much smaller-displacement engines at astronomically-high motor speeds to remain competitive.

Five years after the 1.5-liter rule was put into place, the Grand Prix sanction raised the bar by increasing engine size limit to 3 liters for naturally-aspirated units, which left many race teams like Lotus without appropriate motors. Teams and builders like Coventry Climax experimented with such engine layouts as a 3-liter, 16-cylinder that was based on their already-existing, 1.5 liter V8, but this and BRM’s “H16″ would prove too heavy, as the mill would only make it into the Lotus 43 for a single season.

The H16 featured in the 43 race car not only proved to be a heavy engine, but an unreliable one to boot; driver Jim Clark was able to score one track victory using the H16-powered Lotus, but the engine would fail at literally every other racing event. It was at this point that Lotus’ Colin Chapman realized that he needed a better motor for the track, and in 1967 his search began.

The first two people who Chapman had consulted for the small-engine build were Cosworth engine company founders, Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth. Not too long before, Cosworth and the Ford Motor Company had successfully snagged an Indy 500 victory together, so Chapman was able to use some of his business savvy to secure an air-tight merger between Cosworth and Ford.

Soon after, development of an F2 racing engine began with one of Ford’s 4-cylinders as their base. From that block, Chapman and the Cosworth company were able to manifest a dual, overhead-cam, 1600cc race mill that used 4 valves per cylinder and created a substantial 400 brake horsepower at 9,000 RPM.

Chapman and Cosworth’s new engine was built to race sanction standards, setting the bar for a 3-liter V8 that would be introduced during the 1967 Grand Prix season. The engine’s block was cast entirely by Cosworth out of aluminum. The Ford-Cosworth 1600 mill, dubbed the “DFV” because of its dual-cam design, would be used by Chapman in his Lotus 49, F1 race car, and the motor was run to its max potential.

No doubt the Lotus 49 became Colin Chapman’s ultimate contribution to Formula One in the ’60s, but with a racing heritage equally informed by the likes of famed tuner, Bill Thomas and his long-deceased Cheetah, the Corvette nameplate has garnered just as much of a racing reputation as Lotus and the others. This is made evident in our featured clip from Road & Track, of a ’13 ZR1 running against Chapman’s legendary Lotus 49.

In fact, many would be surprised to know that Carroll Shelby was one of the Vette Italia’s founding fathers, and Shelby himself had actually approached GM with the idea of building an Italian-bodied Vette for the buying market, long before the first 289 or 427 Cobra was ever produced.

It was because of the Chevy small-block’s balance of power and durability that builders/racers like Shelby preferred its presence under the hoods and trunk lids of the some of the world’s fastest-production sports cars, and it was this same lesson that Colin Chapman was forced to learn with the DFV motor, along with the failure of the H16 that spurred its very creation.

For these reasons, both the supercharged ZR1 of today and the classic 49, Formula racer from yesteryear are flagships, representing their marques high-water point. Is it any wonder, then, that it’s so hard for us to choose which of the two represents racing history’s bigger milestone?

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-road-track-pits-a-13-zr1-against-a-67-lotus-49-f1-car/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Lotuscrop-400x253.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Lotuscrop-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Lotuscrop-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Lotuscrop-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/04/Lotuscrop-300x190.jpgCorvette Racing: Number 4 ZR1 takes Sebring 12-Hour GT Class Victoryhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-racing-number-4-zr1-takes-sebring-12-hour-gt-class-victory/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corvette-racing-number-4-zr1-takes-sebring-12-hour-gt-class-victory
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-racing-number-4-zr1-takes-sebring-12-hour-gt-class-victory/#commentsMon, 18 Mar 2013 16:03:49 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=161068Audi may have made endurance race news as of late with their R18 E-Tron Quattro, the very first hybrid supercar to win an American Le Mans Series event, but the real story of importance lately (as far as we’re concerned) is that of Corvette Racing and their C6 ZR1, driven to victory this weekend in the GT class at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway during their 61st Mobil 1, 12-hour endurance event.

Corvette Racing’s Number 4 ZR1 went on to win for the team their first GT victory since 2009, and driver Tommy Milner pulled-off this ALMS team victory in the race-spec C6 by passing Risi Competizione’s Ferrari 458 Italia, driven by Matteo Mallucelli with only 13 minutes left in the race.

Sebring International’s 12-hour, American Le Mans event may be over, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have the chance to explore different parts of the racing milestone online. That’s because CorvetteBlogger.com has recently posted eight different hyperlinks, highlighting everything from Sebring’s racer entry list down to ALMS’ very own radio broadcast.

This year’s 12-hour Sebring race offered one of the best GT racing contests to be seen in a long time. With the Vette marquee going head-to-head with domestic rival Viper, along with some of Europe’s best, Corvette Racing’s ALMS conquest was nothing at all short of a sports car racing milestone. With these convenient links from Corvette Blogger, you can explore the Sebring venue while reliving the racing magic.

It’s definitely not the first time that Italian finesse has been squashed by American muscle, and with the way things are going for Corvette Racing and their Number 4 ZR1, we’re willing to bet that it won’t be the last time either!

For the last 30 years, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has been not only a premier supplier for everything hot rodding, but has been responsible for organizing some of the nation’s premiere motor enthusiast events. Their shows have become among the hot rod market’s most anticipated, and Goodguys’ enclosed big rig is getting ready to hit the road, promising to appear in your hometown very soon.

Contributing writer, Paul Lambert says that this year promises to be, by far one of Goodguys’ biggest years to date, “2013 marks a major milestone for a giant in the hot rod community worldwide,” says Lambert of the rod and custom company’s 30th-anniversary celebration.

Goodguys’ 4th Spring Nationals at Scottsdale, Arizona’s WestWorld will be the first stop scheduled for the Goodguys’ rig in the month of March, and their next stop will be Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway for the 3rd Spring Lone Star Nationals from March 15-17.

Even if you’re not the owner of a trick rod or custom, Goodguys’ series of 30th-anniversary shows and events promises to have something for everyone, and with a massive tour that includes a total of 19 events they promise to cover all corners, and for several years to come.

If you’re interested in being a part of Goodguys’ milestone celebration, then make sure to check out the company’s official website or visit their Facebook page for just a glimpse of what you have to look forward to!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/goodguys-big-rig-hits-the-road-on-their-anniversary-nationwide-tour/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/GGrig-400x258.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/GGrig-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/GGrig-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/GGrig-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/GGrig-300x193.jpgVideo: Bill Thomas’ Famed Cheetah in Perspectivehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-bill-thomas-famed-cheetah-in-perspective/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-bill-thomas-famed-cheetah-in-perspective
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-bill-thomas-famed-cheetah-in-perspective/#commentsThu, 21 Feb 2013 01:02:29 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=157493Usually when we think Chevy, we think drag racing, and with Ford, mostly road and track. Possibly the biggest reason for this dichotomy is because Ford, with the aid of Shelby’s building genius, indeed became the McLaren of America. At this point, the story of Ford and Shelby has become one that’s almost tired, in spite of the fact that America’s side-oiler racing legacy will always hold a place in our race history textbooks.

Chevrolet never seems to be the best-represented nameplate when it comes to this form of motorsport, but Corvette in particular made it possible for the Chevy brand to establish their own tradition of tuning for the road race circuit. Nobody in Bowtie history helped to fortify this tradition like Bill Thomas.

Thomas was the famed builder and tuner who eventually introduced to the 1960’s racing scene the V8-powered Cheetah sportster that tried with all of its might to be GM’s equivalent of the Shelby Cobra, but because of corporate control, fell short. Long before the small-block powered Cheetah, however, Thomas’ career began in 1956 while he was preparing Corvettes for road racing.

It didn’t take long for the Anaheim, California local to figure out that his built and tuned Vettes were actually winning nearly every race in the Southern California region. Thomas’ tuning skills earned him a reputation with Chevy, and the automaker soon approached the Vette performance guru asking help to race-tune the new Corvair.

As much a Corvair expert as he was with Vettes, Bill Thomas was actually known to build the nation’s fastest Corvairs. His compact creations were beating almost everything in their class, and this tuning expertise lead Thomas to work with Chevy on some prototype versions of the Corvair.

Bill also contributed to Chevy’s race development by helping the 409 Bel Airs and Biscaynes to achieve new drag racing records.

One of the General’s more well-rounded builders, Thomas also helped Chevy to build a little-known series of Nova IIs equipped with Vette fuel injection and IRS rear suspension, cars that went on to successfully drag race and lead to the development of three fastback Chevy IIs, the first of which was bought by Allen Green Chevrolet.

By the time 1963 rolled in, Shelby’s Ford-powered Cobra was already known as a competitive road racer. During this time, Bill Thomas had a good relationship running with the likes of Vince Piggins, who was responsible for Chevy’s COPO cars, and Bunkie Knudsen, relationships that helped spark the idea for a new breed of race car.

That new breed would come in the form of Thomas’ 377-stuffed, 520-horse Cheetah, the Chevy-powered, mid-motor racer that was built to be the Cobra killer. By the early part of 1963, Bill Thomas was given the “OK” by Chevy to build 100 Cheetahs to compete against Shelby’s 427 bad boy.

If it was any indication of how potent the Cheetah could be, Zora Arkus-Duntov tested the 1,520-pound racer at the Michigan Proving Grounds where he claimed the Cheetah had accomplished the fastest lateral acceleration ever reached on the track to date. The fact that one of the Duntov brothers – founding fathers of Vette racing – had complimented the Cheetah’s track potential really said something remarkable about Thomas’ talents.

Bill Thomas’ Cheetah could have very well changed the way we looked at Chevrolet forever, but as usual corporate constraints put a quick end to what could have been a frighteningly fast car. Because GM had placed a ban on racing in January of 1963, the Cheetah was forced to remain a classified project, and though Thomas by this point had assumed responsibility for Cheetah production, GM had pulled the project’s funding in early ’64.

Because the plug was pulled on Thomas’ Cheetah, only 21 of the cars were actually built with literally a handful making it to the track. Thomas died on October 10th of 2009 at the age of 88, leaving behind the very first Cheetah ever built as a relic in his Anaheim home.

The Cheetah legacy, however, was far from deceased, because back in November of 2001 BTM came into an agreement with Bill Thomas to build some 100 continuation cars. When talking about the American road race scene, Shelby and his Ferrari-murdering Cobra will always be exalted, but at least the Vette and Bowtie worlds, thanks to Bill Thomas, can confidently say that there was a time when they had their slice of the pie!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-bill-thomas-famed-cheetah-in-perspective/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Cheetah-1-400x293.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Cheetah-6-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Cheetah-6-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Cheetah-6-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Cheetah-6-300x219.jpgBuild Your Own Vette from Home with Chevy’s Online C7 Colorizerhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/build-your-own-vette-from-home-with-chevys-online-c7-colorizer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=build-your-own-vette-from-home-with-chevys-online-c7-colorizer
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/build-your-own-vette-from-home-with-chevys-online-c7-colorizer/#commentsFri, 15 Feb 2013 23:30:26 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=156842Contributor Chris DeMorro put the C7’s sales aspect into perspective for us when he said that car launches, events that are ultimately tailored to the tastes and concerns of the enthusiasts, were among the biggest part of that and other makes’ sales success, namely because it’s those launches that make potential buyers feel that they are part of a milestone.

Good news is that the instant quality of the Web has allowed us to do something possibly just as fascinating as attending Barrett-Jackson or the International Auto Show in LA or Detroit. Chevy grabs the high-speed universe by the horns with their interactive C7 Colorizer application that allows visitors to fully-build their own C7 online, offering guests the opportunity to try an array of paint options with three different wheel styles.

Now before we get over-ambitious, we can probably take a shot at what you’re thinking: Corvettes should be red because that’s just what Vettes look good in. Well, true that red is a bitchin’ color on the C7 as it has been for previous Vette generations, but now you can flip through all the different possibilities to see which hue suits you best.

In fact, Chevy’s Colorizer offers a slate of 10 different hues, such as Black Chrome, Laguna Blue and Velocity Yellow, but for the Corvette loyalist who would still rather carry the image of owning America’s “Ferrari,” then red comes for them in the forms of “Crystal” and “Torch Red.”

No matter what your favorite wheel and color combo is for the C7, Chevy’s new C7 online Colorizer is fun to play with, when the boss isn’t looking and things get a little dull in the cubicle of course!

We’ll probably never really know precisely why the second generation of Corvette is coveted to the degree that it is, but it could have something to do with the split-window coupe body style that made the ’63 C2 famous, or the simple fact that the ’60s was the decade that first saw Chevy’s then-potent 427 stuffed into the motor space of a Vette.

Whatever the reason, the C2 was the first Vette generation to bring real homegrown muscle to the sports marquee, while creating for itself an almost “Euro-centric” style that gave the likes of Healey and MG a run for their money. Corvette’s street and race heritage was never realized as strongly with any other generation of Vette as it was with the C2 that lasted from 1963-67.

Our featured video of Eric Correia and his best friend, Kyle cruising a hot, ’67 Sting Ray convertible down Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, California is a stark reminder of why we so cherish the C2 style. In the case of the 435-horse Sting Ray, it also serves as a nod to GM’s big-block past.

The authoritative scream of our featured Sting Ray smacks hard of 1960s muscle, and there’s no better place to show-off the cool C2 convertible then in Southern California where hot rodding first became a true commodity all those years ago.

If the cosmos work in your favor, then you just may be lucky enough to own one of these brutish, 2nd-Gen Vette classics. But until then, we’re always welcome to put down the top, crank up the tunes and go riding with Eric and Kyle!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/cruisin-pch-in-a-67-sting-ray/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Sting-Ray-1-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Sting-Ray-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Sting-Ray-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Sting-Ray-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/02/Sting-Ray-1-300x168.jpgUgur Sahin Design’s Z03 Concept – An Alternative to the C7?http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ugur-sahin-designs-z03-concept-an-alternative-to-the-c7/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ugur-sahin-designs-z03-concept-an-alternative-to-the-c7
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ugur-sahin-designs-z03-concept-an-alternative-to-the-c7/#commentsMon, 14 Jan 2013 22:03:40 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=153637Let’s talk frankly for the moment about the Corvette’s timeline and how GM just might have screwed it up a little bit somewhere between 2005 and the present. Because let’s face it, the C5 was probably the last Vette that we could honestly look back at, historically, and with a breath of astonishment after a slight pause say something cool like, “Damn, this is an engineering milestone!”

In ’97 that’s pretty much what we did, and the reason was because there was a big jump that was made from the C4 lineup, which lasted for some twelve years and the C5 that would end up changing the face of the sports car marque for quite a while. It did this on at least a couple of levels, namely the fact that the LS motor changed the whole small-block thing and made backyard V8s a high tech commodity for the first time since tuned port injection.

But the C5 also had nice contours and even a 200-mile-per-hour speedo, and who the hell had ever seen that in an RPO Vette?! But once the C6 generation came along, it’s like there was this weird-ass vibe that crept in the air, a vibe that said, “Is GM seriously trying to make something that’s like a Ferrari, like seriously?!

We’re not the only ones, because people in Europe like Vettes too, after all. One company based out of The Netherlands is Ugur Sahin Design, founded in ’07 as a company that seeks to combine visual “emotion” with real, industrial manufacturing processes.

Ugur Sahin serves a closely-knit clientele, and for them they offer services ranging from creative research to 3D design and product engineering. For Ugur Sahin, modern technology and advanced engineering combine to create fresh and modern interpretations of automotive classics.

The design that they offer that most closely resembles what the C7 was revealed to be is their “Z03″ concept car, a Vette-based design that almost incorporates the Ferrari 458 Italia’s lines with some stereotypical Vette styling characteristics. One of the first that you may notice is the lack of a rear hatch, and to our eyes, the actual C7’s rear hatch looks somewhat like a Chrysler Crossfire.

Ferrari’s curvaceousness rubs-off, however at the nose of the Z03, and this should not come as too surprising to anyone since Corvettes have always been about curves. And while we’re not entirely sure if any of the C7s will share the current ZR1’s see-through hood, it could be a very good possibility since Ugur Sahin incorporates a variant of it into their Z03.

Another area of interest is in the roof and C-pillars, since those of the C7 seem to closely resemble Ferrari’s 599. Along with an unmistakable hatchback – if that’s really the word – design, the Z03 also mimic’s the 599’s side vents, whether or not those vents are functional, and these cues are even more pronounced in the Z03 then they are in the C7.

Corvette is a sports car that is unique in the sense that it’s all-American while maintaining a history of Euro coach-building that made an already great design even better. We found that out even with the Italian-built SV9 Competizione that was one of the most beautiful examples of this kind of cross-culturalism, but also one of the most short-lived.

Italy tried quite a few years back, with the SV9 to build their own interpretation of the Vette legacy; do you think that Ugur Sahin will be the overseas vendor to pull-off the whole “Euro-Vette” fusion successfully once it’s time for the 7th-Gen’s release?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/ugur-sahin-designs-z03-concept-an-alternative-to-the-c7/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/01/Z03-7-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/01/Z03-7-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/01/Z03-7-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/01/Z03-7-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2013/01/Z03-7-300x168.jpgVideo: Chris Knapman Drifts A Z06 On The Ice In Swedenhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-chris-knapman-drifts-a-z06-on-the-ice-in-sweden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-chris-knapman-drifts-a-z06-on-the-ice-in-sweden
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-chris-knapman-drifts-a-z06-on-the-ice-in-sweden/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2013 22:24:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=153082Last July, our international travels took us to continental Croatia’s Trash & Burn American car and bike event at Sveti Martin, where we witnessed a pretty ugly display of tire roasting with an otherwise beautiful ’86 C4 convertible that abused the tarmac as much as its owner abused its throttle.

Just the description of the Trash & Burn event was scary, and from what we could see of it, it truly was last summer’s ultimate pin-up girl, car and trash movie extravaganza. But it was the nerve that the drivers of the red C4 had that was the object of our focus, and we were just puzzled by the way some enthusiasts chose to enjoy the car craft.

It’s one thing, however to push the limits of driving on concrete, but what happens when a little ice and snow are thrown-in to the mix? Chris Knapman of the UK’s Telegraph got to find out in a Z06 on a frozen lake bed in Arjeplog, Sweden as part of the Laponie Ice Driving experience.

Knapman is brave to take such a slippery C6 out in such adverse conditions, but after burying the featured Z06 in a little snow it becomes apparent that the environment is starting to take its toll on our British journalist. “It’s about minus 25 out here, and I don’t want to be outside the car shoveling anymore,” says Knapman of his snow-drifting dilemma.

The question that then comes to mind is what are these guys thinking taking something with rear-wheel-drive with that much power out on what could be Sweden’s biggest “skating rink?” Either someone just had way too much time, or they really were curious to see what it’s like to bury a Vette.

Either way it’s crucial to remember that driving on ice really can be a dangerous thing, but if you’re going to do it in a 500-horse Z06 then at least do a little research beforehand on how a transfer case conversion for a C6 may be in the cards; you just never know when you’ll need all-wheel-drive!

The “lost” art of wheelstanding is one that has become a niche market in the drag racing world, and over the last several decades we as a motoring community have witnessed nearly everything imaginable in the wheel-popping game as competitors try to outdo each other.

There’s truly no limit as to how far builders and racers will stretch the boundaries in the way of drivetrain and other configurations just to get a car’s nose in the air, and what made the drag race scene in the ’60s and ’70s remarkable over any other time period in the sport was that it became extreme and unbridled, probably like none of us will get to see again in our lifetimes.

One of the pioneers of epic wheelstanding in the 1970s was Randy Curtis, whose fast C3 became synonymous during the middle of the decade with the exhibition side of the motorsport. Curtis bought the Vette, soon to be dubbed “The Fugitive” in ’74 and campaigned the car until April of ’79.

During its time on the tarmac, Curtis’ “Fugitive” C3 went head-to-head with the likes of such drag race legends as Bill Golden, Gary Watson and Bob Perry.

Curtis crashed a rebuilt version of the car on its initial test run, but throughout the ’70s the Fugitive nameplate continued to gain in popularity and the Vette could be seen racing throughout the southern States and the East Coast, even extending its campaign into Canada.

Though Curtis’ patriotic Corvette enjoyed a rather long run in the public eye, photos of it in action are today a rarity, and one of the last photos shot of the C3 was taken only a few minutes before a freak accident in Baltimore, Maryland. Drag race and especially wheelie fans can easily recall the “up on hind legs” display that the Fugitive C3 would offer.

Randy Curtis’ sense of showmanship was what ultimately made the Fugitive into a dragstrip rock star, and since the car’s debut Curtis has raced off and on in some of the sportsman classes. He’s spent the last several decades tuning race motors for other clients, but starting in 2008 Curtis began to take on a renewed interest in the wheelstanding C3.

During the ’08-09 racing season, Curtis began to revive the Fugitive, maintaining its patriotic color scheme to honor those serving our country while maintaining most of the car’s original bodylines. One of our nation’s premiere wheelstand drivers, Curtis and the Fugitive C3 promised to not disappoint their long-standing fanbase.

One of the last remaining manifestations of the original Fugitive shows a black and silver paint scheme purposefully laid-out by Curtis to conceal the new bodylines of the then newly-built drag car that was designed to shatter current speed and ET records. Curtis’ renewed interest in the car a few years back was fueled partially by his love for America and partly by an insatiable desire to return to the wheelstand game that put him and his C3 on the map.

The world of drag racing has undoubtedly run into some milestones over the past few decades that have helped to fortify the hobby as a sport, and Randy Curtis with his “Fugitive” C3 made it possible for the Corvette nameplate to make a radical entrance into the drag race world!

This 35th-anniversary C4 is one of the rare Vette finds that will be featured at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This year’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona should prove to be a Corvette collector’s automotive utopia. This is namely because one of the first C7s to be unveiled will be up for auction as part of a charitable cause, but aside from the nameplate’s latest generation there will be an impressive showcase of everything Vette that includes some of the marque’s rarest finds.

Among these is a ’91 ZR-1 with 26,450 original miles documented, a Bose sound system and the Lotus-developed LT5 mill that offered 375 horses while putting the C4 variant of the supercar on the map, all during a decade when stock V8 cars just weren’t the fastest things to come out of Detroit.

Other generations of Vette will also be represented at this year’s auction, even the “smog dogs” of the ’70s. One of these is a ’74 C3 that has only 28,962 original miles complete with warranty and owner’s manuals, and is a full-documented Bloomington Gold survivor.

The C3 family is also well-represented with this pristine ’69 below that is a recent restoration with a correct 4-speed, tilt column and a 350-horse CE small-block from a ’71 car. The red C3 was built in November of ’68 and even features factory-correct air conditioning.

Corvette is America’s favorite sports car, and there’s no better venue to get your hands on one than at Barrett-Jackson’s in Scottsdale. With a vast collection of Vettes that span multiple generations and includes some of the Vette family’s rarest specimens, you need to be at this year’s auction event, running from January 13-20.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/vettes-of-all-shapes-and-sizes-at-this-januarys-barrett-jackson/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/35th-Anniversary-C4-1-400x217.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/35th-Anniversary-C4-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/35th-Anniversary-C4-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/35th-Anniversary-C4-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/35th-Anniversary-C4-1-300x163.jpgVideo: Peter De Lorenzo Criticizes GM’s C7 Marketing Strategyhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-peter-de-lorenzo-criticizes-gms-c7-marketing-strategy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-peter-de-lorenzo-criticizes-gms-c7-marketing-strategy
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-peter-de-lorenzo-criticizes-gms-c7-marketing-strategy/#commentsMon, 31 Dec 2012 22:20:13 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-peter-de-lorenzo-criticizes-gms-c7-marketing-strategy/A while back, we helped further unlock the C7 code by sharing some of the first of a series of technical drawings that have leaked out via the web, apparently a series of sketches that belong to the ’14 Vette’s owner manuals that offer more clues into what could be the “ups and downs” of GM’s latest Vette lineup.

We discussed the Crossfire-like rear hatch caused by the revamped C-pillars, as well as the car’s odd intake setup, but aside from technical and mechanical “smudges” on the 7th-Gen Vette, what criticisms could we enthusiasts make about the latest Corvette family at the business and marketing end of the spectrum?

Autoline’s Peter De Lorenzo seems to have the answer, as he views the General’s selling tactics for the C7 as sensationalistic at best. “If I were asked to lead the launch of the new Corvette, I wouldn’t allow any teases of any kind,” explains De Lorenzo.

According to Autoline’s “Autoextremist,” the trick to selling the new Corvette is to surprise the marque’s audience.

“The prevailing mindset proffered by sparkly image wranglers these days is one, you must manipulate the playing field, two that means that absolutely nothing can be left to chance, and three only ‘we’ know the ‘what, where, when, why’ and ‘how’ of it all,” De Lorenzo elaborates.

While it seems intriguing to see what would come from a “surprise” launch for the C7, we can’t help but wonder if De Lorenzo is straying from his day job by trying to speak as GM’s sales analyst.

A word then to the wise: if you know how to build motors then you’re a skilled engine builder and if you know how to drive through Willow Springs then you’re a great driver, but being a mechanic or a driver doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily going to be a smash as a vacuum cleaner salesperson!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-peter-de-lorenzo-criticizes-gms-c7-marketing-strategy/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Autoline-3-400x268.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Autoline-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Autoline-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Autoline-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Autoline-3-300x201.jpgBloomington Gold Announces Their 2013 Great Hall Honoreeshttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/bloomington-gold-announces-their-2013-great-hall-honorees/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bloomington-gold-announces-their-2013-great-hall-honorees
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/bloomington-gold-announces-their-2013-great-hall-honorees/#commentsMon, 31 Dec 2012 20:57:25 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/bloomington-gold-announces-their-2013-great-hall-honorees/Bloomington Gold recognizes that the Corvette craft is one that really doesn’t exist in the world of “Chevrolet” as much as it does a class that is its own and only its own. Given this profound truth of our favorite sports car family, Bloomington makes a special effort of recognizing both the cars and the people who make the Vette world an even better place to be.

But because it’s the people who are the key players in our hobby, they are the ones who deserve to be given a special “cup” that acknowledges their personalities, talents and how these things combined make for a sports car tradition that, since the very first generation of Vettes in the ’50s, has been filled with passion, enthusiasm and an unmatched sense of dedication.

The Great Hall is thus Bloomington’s attempt at giving these enthusiasts a chance to shine as every year they choose ten of the Vette hobby’s most influential cars and people, and promise to continue to make the event an annual tradition until fifty of the best have been acknowledged.

The upcoming year’s event will be held June 28-30 on the University of Illinois’ campus in Champaign, and it’s guaranteed to be the Vette world’s most prestigious event of 2013. The event’s honorees were just chosen in December, and some of the cars featured will include the very first 327 and big-block Vettes built, along with a pair of lightning-quick C6s that are sure to satisfy your sports car fix.

Bloomington Gold’s Great Hall is a prestigious Corvette venue that you just can’t afford to miss, and if you want to be a part of it next summer then you need to log on to the organization’s website or give them a call!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/bloomington-gold-announces-their-2013-great-hall-honorees/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Great-Hall-1-400x231.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Great-Hall-21-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Great-Hall-21-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Great-Hall-21-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Great-Hall-21-300x223.jpgOne Of The First C7s Goes Up For Auction At Barrett-Jacksonhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/one-of-the-first-c7s-goes-up-for-auction-at-barrett-jackson/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=one-of-the-first-c7s-goes-up-for-auction-at-barrett-jackson
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/one-of-the-first-c7s-goes-up-for-auction-at-barrett-jackson/#commentsMon, 31 Dec 2012 20:05:51 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/one-of-the-first-c7s-goes-up-for-auction-at-barrett-jackson/Here’s what we know so far of GM’s latest Vette lineup: Not a hell of a lot, quite honestly. But this doesn’t mean that clues haven’t been dropped here and there either. In fact, GM’s re-release of the “LT” engine designation and the introduction of a virtual gauge cluster in the upcoming Cadillac XTS have been two of our biggest pieces of insight into what could possibly be the greatest generation so far in the Corvette’s timeline, the upcoming C7.

The C7 promises to be a technological and mechanical milestone for the nameplate, but some enthusiasts who are rich or resourceful enough, or perhaps even both may just have the opportunity this January to be one of the C7 cars’ lucky first owners.

That’s because Barrett-Jackson continues their tradition of auctioning off rare and valuable new cars for a cause like they did at the 2008 auction, where the very first ’09 ZR1 was sold for $1 million with proceeds going toward United Way. At last year’s auction, ’13 427 convertible VIN #1 was sold but was listed in the auction catalog as merely a regular C6.

Barrett-Jackson Lot#3016 for the upcoming January auction specifies that the C7 is a “one-of-a-kind” model from Chevy with proceeds going toward the “Center for Creative Studies.” The event will take place on January 19th at 8:30 PM at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona auction.

Speculation over which VIN C7 will be featured still lingers, but Vette journalist Rick Tavel guesses that the car will be VIN #2 since the very first C7 produced will most likely be going to the GM Heritage Center. This January’s Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale will be a rare opportunity to have the chance to own one of the first cars built in a brand new Vette family, and unless you plan on being in Detroit a few days earlier you don’t want to miss this new-gen Vette extravaganza!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/one-of-the-first-c7s-goes-up-for-auction-at-barrett-jackson/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/LT1LOGO-e1357337910656-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/LT1LOGO-e1357337910656-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/LT1LOGO-e1357337910656-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/LT1LOGO-e1357337910656-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/LT1LOGO-e1357337910656-300x225.jpgRandy Nonnenberg’s Split Window C2 Makes Serious Progresshttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/randy-nonnenbergs-split-window-c2-makes-serious-progress/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=randy-nonnenbergs-split-window-c2-makes-serious-progress
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/randy-nonnenbergs-split-window-c2-makes-serious-progress/#commentsFri, 28 Dec 2012 20:49:34 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/randy-nonnenbergs-split-window-c2-makes-serious-progress/In September we covered what was the first phase in a C2 restoration effort in which the collaborative forces of eBay Motors and Randy Nonnenberg made possible one of the coolest vintage Vette rebuilds of the year. In particular, the ’63 split window coupe has many features and styling cues that Nonnenberg and company are looking to maintain. “The 1963 coupes are famous for some details that were only included that year,” explains Randy.

Nonnenberg and eBay weren’t terribly pleased by the Vette’s starting condition, though there was a certain originality to the coupe that they had to make sure wasn’t lost in the midst of the restoration process. Randy talks about the importance of the parts and accessories search to the C2 build. “When we bought it, the car was filled with low-quality aftermarket components and many parts from the later year Corvettes,” says Nonnenberg about the C2 upon discovery.

Randy Nonnenberg's C2 chassis has been fully restored using new and used parts from eBay.

But Randy was determined to find what he was after on eBay, and his search would eventually yield successful results leading to the car’s current re-marriage of body and chassis. “We set out to find them on eBay and it worked!,” exclaims Randy. “Trim, chrome, gauges, valve covers, exhaust manifolds, lights and more were all set right during our build.”

As it stands, the split window C2’s body has been fresh painted Daytona blue while some $20k in all has been invested in the coupe’s overall paint and fiberglass bodywork.

The rolling chassis has been rebuilt exclusively with new and restored parts from eBay, and so far Nonnenberg has been happy with the way the fusion of the finished body and restored chassis has come out. “The $20k investment and all the hours put into the fiberglass body work and paint has been well worth it, as it looks as good as any C2 Corvette body we have ever seen,” says Nonnenberg.

Randy and eBay Motors’ C2 project has come a long way since we last checked-in – with the Vette’s red overspray gone and the body and chassis once again joined it will be exciting to see the finished product, and it will be equally-exciting to see how other enthusiasts react!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/randy-nonnenbergs-split-window-c2-makes-serious-progress/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/eBay-C2-1-400x239.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/eBay-C2-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/eBay-C2-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/eBay-C2-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/eBay-C2-1-300x179.jpgVideo: Will GM Unveil A 4-Door C7 Corvette?http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-will-gm-unveil-a-4-door-c7-corvette/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-will-gm-unveil-a-4-door-c7-corvette
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-will-gm-unveil-a-4-door-c7-corvette/#commentsFri, 28 Dec 2012 19:56:22 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=152456During its existence, Pontiac created some of GM’s most beloved and feared performance models. As if it wasn’t enough that the Tempest-based GTO in the ’60s set the bar for door-slammer aggression, the Pontiac nameplate did it again from ’04-06 with the Holden-based GTO that put the General’s LS motor series into a whole new arena of street fighting.

While Pontiac never seemed to have issue with making stoplight warriors out of their more midsized coaches, when it came to carrying this tried-and-true heritage of brute performance over to the luxury sedan segment, one of Pontiac’s greatest achievements was the horsepower oriented variant of the Commodore-based G8 produced from ’08-09, the GXP.

GM of North America president, Mark Reuss was just as hurt as anybody over Pontiac’s demise in 2009 and since that time, Reuss has felt the empty space caused by the General’s lack of a performance sedan segment. “Those were the worst days of my job,” says Reuss of working for GM during the mid-’09 sales year. “It was terrible.”

But GM’s Australian sibling Holden continues to offer the Commodore sedan, and it’s the Commodore VF’s globally-recognized Zeta platform, currently the platform for Camaro, that may just give Chevy and indeed Vette enthusiasts a glimpse of hope for the 2014 model year.

Chevy's SS sedan for 2014 will make use of the Holden Commodore's internationally-recognized Zeta platform, currently used in the Camaro.

That’s because Reuss and GM have up their sleeves an idea for a 4-door sled that will essentially serve, according to Reuss, as Chevy’s sedan version of the Corvette, the ’14 SS sedan. It will be powered by the upcoming LT1 mill that will inevitably be stuffed into not only the C7, but possibly the GNX that has been rumored to be part of Buick’s near future.

The same engineering team from General that developed the 5th-Gen ZL1 also worked to refine the Zeta platform for the SS, helping to reinforce Chevy’s famed “Super Sport” trademark. Mark Reuss wanted to make sure that the ’14 SS stayed true to the name.

“The SS has a lot of meaning. You know, Chevelles with cowl induction and all the stuff we used to have. Along through history it was sometimes done wrong when it was just a trim package,” explains Reuss.

High performance sedans, especially one that piggyback off of the Vette marque may just become the hot new auto market in the next few sales years to come. Do you think that Chevy’s new SS will be a smart buy when you’re in the market for luxury performance?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-will-gm-unveil-a-4-door-c7-corvette/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/SS-3-400x143.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/SS-3-400x230.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/SS-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/SS-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/SS-3-300x107.jpgMoser Offers A New Solid-Axle Drag Kit For The C5http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/moser-offers-a-new-solid-axle-drag-kit-for-the-c5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=moser-offers-a-new-solid-axle-drag-kit-for-the-c5
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/moser-offers-a-new-solid-axle-drag-kit-for-the-c5/#commentsFri, 28 Dec 2012 19:02:35 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/moser-offers-a-new-solid-axle-drag-kit-for-the-c5/Many of the high-horsepower builds that we have covered over the past nyear have benefited from Moser’s differential and axle development. One of these was the turbocharged ’67 Camaro from Cobweb Specialties of Edgewood, Washington that we learned last January used a set of Moser’s 33-spline pieces and a Truetrac differential.

Moser's new solid-axle kit is available with optional drag brakes and powdercoating.

This time Moser Engineering serves the ‘Vette community with their new solid-axle, rear subframe kit for all ’97-04 C5s. The kit is designed with the independent rear, transaxle design of the C5 in mind, and modifications to the transmission and torque tube tunnels, along with the upper rear control arm mounts must be made prior to the kit’s installation. Obviously, the transmission will need to be relocated to a more-conventional spot directly behind the engine as well.

Moser’s solid-axle kit comes with everything needed for the C5 rear swap, including a 12-bolt housing, 35-spline alloy axles, a 1350 chrome moly pinion yoke and Timken bearings. The assembly also features a 5/8″-inch drive stud kit and a set of sealed axle bearings.

Moser's C5 solid-axle kit shown as installed.

The rear assembly is built with NHRA’s Stock Eliminator classes in mind, but each kit can be modified for other applications as well. One of the best parts of Moser’s C5 conversion kit is that it’s ready to buy and install, as each kit is delivered within 3 weeks of completion of your online ordering form.

With their fast and easy ordering process, Moser Engineering promises that your time spent on their website won’t be the only thing moving quickly. Their new solid-axle rear assembly for the C5 is one that is essential for any maximum-effort drag conversion!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/moser-offers-a-new-solid-axle-drag-kit-for-the-c5/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Moser-C5-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Moser-C5-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Moser-C5-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Moser-C5-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Moser-C5-1-300x200.jpgVideo: Motorweek Celebrates 25 Years Of Callaway Performancehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-motorweek-celebrates-25-years-of-callaway-performance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-motorweek-celebrates-25-years-of-callaway-performance
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-motorweek-celebrates-25-years-of-callaway-performance/#commentsMon, 17 Dec 2012 18:08:19 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=150947When it comes to celebrating Reeves Callaway’s 25th anniversary of ‘Vette building, there’s no one who’s more ready to join the party than Motorweek’s own John Davis as he talks with great enthusiasm about Callaway’s B2K-optioned C6 for 2012. “We’ve been waiting to get our behinds in the seat of this car since we got an early sneak peak from Reeves and the boys at the factory earlier this Spring,” exclaims Davis.

This year’s B2K C6 celebrates the anniversary of the original B2K ‘Vette built by Callaway all those years ago, and the car started as a Grand Sport that was specially prepped for the performance tuner by GM’s Bowling Green plant. The 25th-Anniversary edition B2K is also the highest-output LS3 ‘Vette to emerge from the Callaway Cars workshop.

Helping to squeeze some 620 horses from the C6 mill is a TVS 2300 supercharger, upgraded valve springs and pushrods, along with a set of high-ratio rocker arms. The build is one that’s also good for 555 feet-pounds of torque, and it helps the limited-production C6 to achieve a quarter-mile pass of 10.8 seconds at 128 miles per hour.

Indeed the ’12 B2K is a celebration of a car guy’s successful career in performance tuning, but as this is the case, then the ’13 SC652 427 convertible is equally a celebration of both a Callaway and Corvette milestone. This is because the 427 C6 is built by Reeves and his crew to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ‘Vette nameplate while using the Callaway touch the send the C6 lineup out with flying colors.

To remedy their thirst for power, Callaway uses an intercooled supercharger, an upgraded fuel pump and injectors to bump-up the SC652’s already stout LS7 to 652 horses with 620 feet-pounds of twist, enough to push the blown C6 to a quarter-mile run of 11.1 seconds at 127 miles per hour.

Both Callaway ‘Vettes are radical in terms of outright performance and both stand as testament to the potential of aftermarket engineering. Given the choice between the B2K and the SC652, how would you choose to celebrate Reeves Callaway’s motoring career?

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-motorweek-celebrates-25-years-of-callaway-performance/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Callaway-427-31-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Callaway-427-31-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Callaway-427-31-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Callaway-427-31-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Callaway-427-31-300x199.jpgDrift Mania App Presented By Centerforce Makes Drifting Virtualhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/drift-mania-app-presented-by-centerforce-makes-drifting-virtual/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drift-mania-app-presented-by-centerforce-makes-drifting-virtual
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/drift-mania-app-presented-by-centerforce-makes-drifting-virtual/#commentsSat, 15 Dec 2012 16:22:32 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/centerforce-makes-drifting-virtual-with-their-drift-mania-app/The Internet has become the new marketplace, and this massive web boom has opened the doors for all kinds of new opportunities in the world of everything motoring. Virtual motorsports is a hobby that has done more than enough to prove itself tangible as a result.

One of the best things about mobile web is that the devices that carry it do more than just make it possible to check the weather or Wall Street on the run; smartphones can now become a steering wheel or a serving spoon, depending on how they can be made useful in the moment.

Given this, Centerforce has incorporated the programming and graphics design genius of Rat Rod Studio to bring the drifting craze into the virtual realm, not only making it possible to race various cars on a vast choice of tracks from your smart device, but also allowing for users to connect simultaneously and compete against each other.

Centerforce’s Drift Mania Championship 2 APP is currently available on the ITunes Store and Google Play, and Centerforce promises that their ground-breaking drift program will soon be available on the Windows 8 Store. With over 10 million players worldwide, Drift Mania 2 is the web’s number one drift racing game.

The reason is because of the possibilities for serious competition that the game offers with its worldwide database of players and its addictive gameplay, using next-gen 3D graphics to bring the drifting experience to life. The game also allows users to upgrade their rides and up the ante in a fiercely competitive environment.

Centerforce and others are proud to sponsor Drift Mania 2, and if drift racing is your thing and you own an IPhone, IPad or IPod Touch then Centerforce’s Drift Mania is the one game that you’ll end up playing for months to come!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/drift-mania-app-presented-by-centerforce-makes-drifting-virtual/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/51-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/51-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/51-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/51-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/51-300x225.jpgVideo: CXC’s Motion Pro II Offers The Ultimate Racing Experiencehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cxcs-motion-pro-ii-offers-the-ultimate-racing-experience/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-cxcs-motion-pro-ii-offers-the-ultimate-racing-experience
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cxcs-motion-pro-ii-offers-the-ultimate-racing-experience/#commentsThu, 13 Dec 2012 19:30:28 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cxcs-motion-pro-ii-offers-the-ultimate-racing-experience/Whether or not adaptive technology existed in the motorsport world was yet to be seen, as there seemed to be no doable solution to the lack of adaptive equipment that could possibly make the car craft accessible.

It was a hard cross to bear, but as we grew we came to learn that the real issue went much deeper than just a lack of pedal assembly hand controls and/or joystick steering; the real issue was with every enthusiast, not only the physically challenged. A lot of people can use their arms and legs, but very few can afford to race a 917 or a GT40 at Laguna Seca.

Given these conditions, there had to be some kind of a technological break-through that allowed all enthusiasts to enjoy the overwhelming freedom that a high-performance machine could offer, and one Los Angeles-based company has opened the floodgates for all possibilities.

That company, founded early in 2007, is CXC Simulations and the product that they offer is a racing simulator that more than defies everything that you’ve ever believed about full-motion simulators.

The reason is that their patented, low-mass system known as the “Motion Pro II” focuses on the upper body instead of the lower, namely because two years of racing research by the company has proven that most tactile sensations felt while racing are in the head and torso.

The realism in the Motion Pro assembly comes from the fact that the system is designed to make subtle changes as the terrain of the driving environment also changes. But what further enhances the driving experience is that CXC’s theory of motion revolves primarily around the speed at which stimuli are produced in relation to how fast the human brain can interpret them.

The number one flaw in most simulators is that the wide motions of the chassis don’t allow for quick changes in direction, producing long, gravitational pulls instead of the rapid G-force transitions that are typically associated with a race car.

What happens is that even the most seasoned of drivers often end up quite seasick. “I’ve driven other so-called full-motion simulators; bottom line, they give me nausea. The CXC Motion Pro II is the most realistic simulator I’ve driven. For me, it’s an invaluable training tool,” explains driver Townsend Bell, who finished 4th at the ’09 Indy 500 after a 10-month absence from racing.

But aside from a renewed sense of realism backed by attention to handling, road surface and other real driving dynamics, CXC’s Motion Pro II has revolutionized the simulator industry by not only making each unit fully customizable to owner specifications, but by building each unit to be used in either personal or professional settings.

One of these businesses that have benefited from CXC’s ground-breaking technology is World Class Motoring in Agoura Hills, California. A state-of-the-art showroom, auto racing memorabilia and apparel shop and now coffee and pastry joint, World Class Motoring has praised the Motion Pro’s innovative platform, even renting-out their simulator to the most diehard of enthusiasts. “Our first idea was to include it in our catalog,” says WCM’s Fred LoBianco.

CXC's Motion Pro II differentiates itself from other motion simulators by actuating the seat instead of moving the entire chassis and display.

World Class Motoring is satisfied with the ability to offer their customers a radical, race car driving experience, and the fact that they have incorporated the system’s progressive technology has paved the way for other performance and custom auto retail stores. “You don’t have to sell the machine,” says Fred LoBianco, “As soon as guys get on it it’s like they get it right away and they start asking about things.”

Motion Pro II units start at around $45k, though most of the systems that they sell usually tap-into the $70k range. That’s because of the fact that it’s made with only the driver in mind, and though it sounds expensive it’s actually a reasonable deal that is a wise investment for the most discriminating racing enthusiast who wants to train on the most competitive levels.

If it sounds like something possible in your near future, then CXC Simulations or World Class Motoring are places and people who you most definitely need to contact. Race simulators like the Motion Pro II could be the wave of the future for all of us; how could any gearhead pass-up the opportunity afforded?

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cxcs-motion-pro-ii-offers-the-ultimate-racing-experience/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/sim-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/sim-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/sim-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/sim-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/sim-300x225.jpgCrane Offers Their Blueprinted Replica Cams For Classic Musclehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/crane-offers-their-blueprinted-replica-cams-for-classic-muscle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crane-offers-their-blueprinted-replica-cams-for-classic-muscle
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/crane-offers-their-blueprinted-replica-cams-for-classic-muscle/#commentsTue, 11 Dec 2012 19:28:20 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/crane-offers-their-blueprinted-replica-cams-for-classic-muscle/One thing that can never truly be replicated from a late-model motor is the lumpy sound and feel that comes from an old-school performance cam. It’s the kind of sound that has become a signature of the late ’60s/early ’70s hot rod and muscle car scene, and there are so many running characteristics that are no longer prevalent following the invention of multiple engine sensors, fuel injection and other high-tech systems.

The issue is that original muscle car restoration has become more expensive now than ever before, and since original powerplants are also part of those costs it’s becoming increasingly important for some enthusiasts to restore their mill to factory-correct specifications.

Crane's Blueprint series cams are custom-ground to replicate the camshafts of the muscle era while using computer technology to maximize valvetrain life and overall performance.

When it comes to grinding camshafts to OEM standard while still smoothing out some of the default designs’ flaws, Crane Cams has revolutionized the performance bumpstick industry with their Blueprint cam series that copies original factory grinds while using the best in computer technology to maximize certain spots on each application’s individual performance curve.

This means, for example, that one may now build an original L79 motor, except using modern tools to improve what is already a great running mill. Not only are computers used in the camshaft grind process to maximize overall performance, but each Blueprint series cam is refined for increased valvetrain life.

Crane’s Blueprinted replica cams are offered in hydraulic or solid lifter, flat tappet versions. Each camshaft is also designed for the make of car specified, whether it be a Chevy or Ford, small or big-block.

Crane’s Blueprint series is not only designed to copy sound; such running dynamics as idle speed and compression are also taken into account. We live in a modern world, but if you’re in the market for a performance camshaft that’s straight out of the muscle era then Crane’s Blueprint series is the custom grind lineup that’s up your alley!

Last September, sexy motoress Sarah Leann made the art of automotive picture-taking look fun when she and LMR of Houston, Texas shared a sultry session of Vette photo-shooting that did way more than create steam. By “steam” we of course are talking about the ’13 ZR1 that was the shoot’s centerpiece (ha, yeah right!), but it’s safe to say that Sarah made her contribution.

It was a fun time watching Sarah and her backyard curves adorn the white ZR1, and heaven forbid if we should ever hire pretty girls to make our favorite sports car even more exciting in the future. But the fact that such photo shoots often involve fast cars and pretty faces doesn’t take away from the fact that each one takes considerable amounts of time and planning.

Seasoned automotive photographer Luke Braswell takes us into the process of a photo shoot involving a ’13 Vette, and in our featured video we find that photography is an art of not only skill but precision, “It’s kind of a trial and error process; we figure out basically where we want the lights and we adjust accordingly,” explains Braswell.

Car shoots ultimately are about the car itself, and making sure that the Vette in our featured shoot was suitable for public viewing was of supreme importance to Braswell and the rest of his crew, “The first day of setting-up a car shoot is cleaning; we have to clean the car, [and] it usually takes a couple of hours to detail the car,” says Braswell.

Black plastic tarp material is used to protect the platform that the Vette is driving on, and most of the time used during a photo shoot is actually spent during setup.

Braswell’s tour of the photo shoot process offers us a new perspective on just how important photography is to the car craft, and for those aspiring writers who one day hope to write for the automotive press, just remember that photojournalism will inevitably become one of the most important parts of your trade!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-luke-braswell-shows-us-the-ins-and-outs-of-a-vette-photoshoot/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Braswell-4-400x170.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Braswell-4-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Braswell-4-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Braswell-4-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Braswell-4-e1355157451251-300x225.jpgTwo Santa Clara Street Racers Sentenced In The Death Of A Bystanderhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/two-santa-clara-street-racers-sentenced-in-the-death-of-a-bystander/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-santa-clara-street-racers-sentenced-in-the-death-of-a-bystander
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/two-santa-clara-street-racers-sentenced-in-the-death-of-a-bystander/#commentsThu, 06 Dec 2012 00:18:52 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/two-santa-clara-street-racers-sentenced-in-the-death-of-a-bystander/Last year, two street racers in Texas sporting a matching set of Vettes made the canon of YouTube infamy as they launched their C5 and C6s hard off the line, only to have the C5 go sideways and smash into the side of its stoplight race competitor. It was an online showcase that would take a year to be punished, and it made all of us wonder just why it took so long for Texas law to justify the act that could have potentially hurt or killed innocent bystanders crossing the street.

Some just never learn no matter how many times they screw things up, and at this point we would think that many Vette and other motoring enthusiasts would have learned their lesson about the catastrophic effects of illegal street racing, given that so many deaths are attributed to street racing as a whole.

Our featured story out of Santa Clara, California involves Mercedes and Corvette drivers, Vincent Mergonoto and Chandra Purnama, who last year were traveling along Santa Clara’s Kiely Boulevard between speeds of 80 to 88 miles per hour according to prosecutor Michel Amaral.

Vincent Mergonoto and Chandra Purnama have been sentenced to 364 days in jail by Santa Clara judge Rene Navarro in connection with the March, 2011 death of Ashley Krieger. 23-year-old Krieger was killed after being struck by Mergonoto's Mercedes.

On March 20th, 2011 around 10:30 PM, 23-year-old Ashley Krieger was leaving her job at a local bowling alley when she was struck in her Honda by a CLS 63 driven by San Jose, California local Mergonoto who was racing San Francisco local, Purnama who was behind the wheel of a rented Vette.

Both Mergonoto and Purnama have been sentenced by Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Rene Navarro to 364 days in jail each, the sentencing following a request for leniency by Krieger’s parents, Lance and Lori Krieger, who had written the request on February 22nd of this year.

Though the Kriegers did request that Mergonoto and Purnama be put on probation with community service, Navarro still felt that jail time was an appropriate sentence for the reckless behavior. “Given the circumstances with the loss of life, they deserve time in custody,” said Navarro during the court hearing.

It’s been said that it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, but is drag racing really worthy anyone’s time when lives are at stake? A word of advice: shell out the few bucks that it takes to get admission into your local dragstrip. Otherwise, keep your car keys on the kitchen counter and have your XBox ready!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/two-santa-clara-street-racers-sentenced-in-the-death-of-a-bystander/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Krieger-2-400x293.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Krieger-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Krieger-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Krieger-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/12/Krieger-2-300x219.jpgThe New XTS Gauge Cluster Gives Insight Into The C7’s Designhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-new-xts-gauge-cluster-gives-insight-into-the-c7s-design/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-xts-gauge-cluster-gives-insight-into-the-c7s-design
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-new-xts-gauge-cluster-gives-insight-into-the-c7s-design/#commentsMon, 03 Dec 2012 16:37:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-new-xts-gauge-cluster-gives-insight-into-the-c7s-design/Will the new generation of Vette design be a sports car milestone for GM in 2013? While we’re not totally sure what General has in store for the C7, there are tidbits that offer clues into what features may be available in the latest series of America’s most beloved sports marquee.

By far the most innovative piece of connectivity to hit the GM design desk this year, an all-new virtual gauge cluster featured in the current Cadillac XTS may offer the biggest glimpse into what may very well be the Corvette and other makes’ future.

An all-digital display consisting of a 12.3-inch LCD screen connected to a steering wheel mounted toggle switch allows drivers to choose between four different cluster display modes, each based on the four most common type of driver profiles.

According to GM senior creative designer, Scott Martin, the four preset display modes are designed with the everyday luxury car driver in mind, “We spent time with owners of all kinds of vehicles to learn how they used the radio, navigation, phone settings and other user connectivity features,” explains Martin.

Martin, who was placed in charge of the LCD cluster’s design says that drivers generally fall into distinct groups; “Most drivers fall into one of four different categories in terms of the amount of information that they want to see at any given time, so we built the XTS gauge cluster layouts to appeal to any one of those drivers,” Martin explains.

The gauge cluster display ranges from “Balanced” to “Enhanced” mode – the standard “Balanced” display designed for those who prefer a more traditional layout while still maintaining the ability to view several of the car’s vital signs at once, while the “Enhanced” cluster is a more web-based design, allowing drivers to monitor navigational info while monitoring fuel and speed info and scrolling through other on-screen information windows.

The XTS virtual gauge cluster also features a “Simple” layout for those drivers who prefer the least amount of on-screen graphics while focusing on such vitals as audio, speed and fuel consumption. With the system’s steering wheel toggle switch, it’s easy to navigate through the different cluster displays and each mode is suited to the individual driving experience.

Does Cadillac’s current XTS gauge cluster offer a clue into the possibilities for C7 and other future Vette designs?

Theft of all kinds seems to spike around the holiday season. We learned this earlier in the week when Tim Allen’s LT5-powered Impala SS was stolen from his Los Angeles home only to be recovered in Denver, Colorado. Hot on the heels of that incident, this story comes to us out of Wichita, Kansas where RPM Motorsports owner Bob Musgrove came back to his shop last Sunday afternoon to discover his pickup and enclosed trailer housing a C4 drag car had been stolen from his otherwise secure property.

Musgrove had just returned from visiting his parents’ gravesite, and the emotion that followed the discovery of his stolen Vette and trailer was one which any of us can understand. “It’s a very cold feeling inside when someone takes something from you that you’ve worked very hard to have,” says Musgrove.

Upon discovery of the theft of what added up to $100k in property, Musgrove and friends issued several posts online in an attempt to recover the fast C4 and other items that had been taken. Craigslist was among the online venues where Musgrove and company sounded the alarm. “It caused for a pretty sleepless night,” says Musgrove.

Wichita police were also notified within minutes of the discovery by the RPM shop owner, and by Sunday night an arrest had been made in connection with the incident, though only some of the stolen items, including the Corvette and trailer, were recovered while some “big ticket” items were still missing.

Among the items that are currently still unrecovered are Musgrove’s ’89 GMC, a maroon-colored truck with Kansas license plate number TFQ683, a generator and a three-wheeler. The search for these items has far from ended, and anyone who knows about these stolen goods is asked to contact the Wichita Police Department immediately.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-drag-race-c4-from-rpm-motorsports-is-stolen-and-recovered/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Stolen-Vette-1-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Stolen-Vette-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Stolen-Vette-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Stolen-Vette-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Stolen-Vette-1-300x225.jpgThe Rare Avelate C5 Was An Attempt To Create A Modern Split Windowhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-rare-avelate-c5-was-an-attempt-to-create-a-modern-split-window/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-rare-avelate-c5-was-an-attempt-to-create-a-modern-split-window
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-rare-avelate-c5-was-an-attempt-to-create-a-modern-split-window/#commentsMon, 26 Nov 2012 20:23:37 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-rare-avelate-c5-was-an-attempt-to-create-a-modern-split-window/With the new generation of American muscle taking a crack at the “modern retro” look, there has been over these last few years a resurgence of throw-back styling that has been accompanied by the kind of modern powertrain performance that can only be the result of such inventions as electronic injection and variable valve timing.

There’s no doubt that the Millennium has brought us a balance of backyard engine building and digital know-how, but the late ’90s was the era that introduced the LS motor family to the Bowtie community, changing the way that we view small-block construction forever.

The late ’90s was also when the 5th generation of Vette became the marquee’s predominant bodystyle, though some enthusiasts still would have rather held to the Mitchell era of GM design when cars were treated more like artpieces than mere transportation. One of these enthusiasts was famed custom rod builder, Dean “Dino” Arnold, who saw the potential for Sting Ray styling in the C5 platform.

During the last part of the decade, Arnold contacted noted automotive designer Don Johnson, who had also served time as a member of GM’s design team. Johnson showed Arnold some sketches that he’d drawn of a custom Vette, and fascinated by the idea, Arnold suggested that they pair together to design and build the car for public sale.

Johnson’s designs were based on his passion for the ’63-67 Sting Ray, and it was from those initial sketches that the 2002 Avelate C5 was born. A Vette that was highly modded at Arnold’s 5,000 square-foot facility in Tacoma, Washington, the Avelate conversion consisted of a newly-purchased C5 being delivered to the shop where nearly all of its stock paneling was replaced with custom molds that carried a more European feel.

The only stock exterior parts that were left on the Avelate were the door handles, mirrors and lower valance. The Vette’s front fenders that were once rounded were now decidedly sharpened, and a fiberglass cap fit over the stock rear window gave the illusion of a split-window coupe.

Only 27 of the Avelate C5s were ever built, with production beginning in early 2001. Though a great design concept that borrowed from some of GM’s most beloved styling cues, Avelate Automotive’s custom C5 operation proved to be a shaky business plan at best, as there was no national marketing in place and only two Chevy dealers were signed-up with Avelate to deliver the cars.

Hoping to boost company revenue, Avelate Automotive teamed-up with John Rothman in 2003. Rothman asked Dean Arnold to produce another custom, Vette-based sports car, but the partnership eventually dissolved and resulted in a lawsuit that caused Avelate to close its doors in July of 2004.

The Avelate Vette was a short-lived C5 custom that never really took off in the world of all things Corvette, but as Don Johnson and Dean Arnold continue to toy with aftermarket designs even today, one can’t help but wonder what custom sports car creation will become the successor to the Avelate Vette that was born from a now legendary late-’90s, throwback Sting Ray design!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-rare-avelate-c5-was-an-attempt-to-create-a-modern-split-window/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Avelate-1-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Avelate-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Avelate-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Avelate-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Avelate-1-300x199.jpgVideo: Cotati Speed Shop’s ’61 Vette At SEMA Uses Flowmasterhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cotati-speed-shops-61-vette-at-sema-uses-flowmaster/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-cotati-speed-shops-61-vette-at-sema-uses-flowmaster
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cotati-speed-shops-61-vette-at-sema-uses-flowmaster/#commentsMon, 26 Nov 2012 16:00:53 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cotati-speed-shops-61-vette-at-sema-uses-flowmaster/Cotati Speed Shop owner, Zane Cullen talks about the quality of Flowmaster’s products while revealing why he uses Flowmaster their custom roadster builds. “One of the reasons that we continue to use Flowmaster products on our builds is that it delivers an excellent sound and it’s something we can always count on,” Cullen shares.

Flowmaster was equally-impressed by the 383 stroker-stuffed Vette from Cotati that is the focus of our featured clip above, and they admire Cullen and the Cotati Speed Shop of Santa Rosa, California, for choosing their exhaust performance technology. From the video, Flowmaster says, “Our friend Zane at Cotati Speed Shop knows just where to go for the best possible exhaust for his beautiful, award-winning builds.”

Originally debuting at SEMA in 2002, the custom Vette makes use of the signature Flowmaster exhaust note, “Like all of our builds, one of the things that this car features is Flowmaster exhaust as it enables us to achieve an incredible sound while the car’s running,” said Cullen. No nook or cranny has been spared in our featured Vette’s build, “This car features all kinds of very subtle modifications; it’s definitely a vehicle that’s a devil in the detail,” Cullen continued.

Cotati Speed Shop is famed for their show quality paint and cosmetic detail. For those who didn’t notice, they’ve turned the Corvette into a full-time roadster with no side glass or top.

Without a doubt, the collaboration of Cotati’s custom work and Flowmaster’s signature sound make for an unbeatable combination. Zane Cullen is more than satisfied with the way his shop’s custom rods sound; if you want your ride to have that same authoritative rumble, then contact Flowmaster so they can hook you up with that exhaust setup you’ve been needing.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-cotati-speed-shops-61-vette-at-sema-uses-flowmaster/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Cotati-2-400x218.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/62-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/62-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/62-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/62-300x199.jpgVideo: Indiana Corvette Drag Racer Lifts After Hood Pops Openhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-indiana-corvette-drag-racer-lifts-after-hood-pops-open/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-indiana-corvette-drag-racer-lifts-after-hood-pops-open
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-indiana-corvette-drag-racer-lifts-after-hood-pops-open/#commentsThu, 22 Nov 2012 00:11:06 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=142361Things don’t always work out the way we hope they do. One measure of maturity is how you react to the unforeseen – do you panic and make things worse, or do you calmly assess the situation and make the best of it? Here, we have examples of two very different ways Corvette drivers handled potentially bad situations while racing.

Recently, Chris Demorro reported that last year’s C5 versus C6 stoplight-racing crash in Texas, a YouTube monument that garnered millions of hits, was finally punished by Texas law this year. In that instance, 45-year-old Roy Bowden and 24-year-old Brian Hebert were indicted on several charges, including a third-degree felony charge due to the fact that Hebert had to be taken to a hospital for related injuries after his mother insisted on it. While that may have kept him from going to jail immediately, as he was allegedly driving on a suspended license, in the long run it made matters worse.

Yikes... that's a lot of window tint!

By contrast, the drag racer in our featured video faces the unexpected and handles it with aplomb – while there are no crashes or explosions to highlight our featured 10.15-second pass, having a hood pop open in the middle of the dragstrip is a sure way to raise your heartbeat into the triple digits.

Sucks? Oh yeah it does! And we often forget that drag racing as a whole is a touch-sensitive sport that only takes one flinch to screw everything up. Needless to say, our go-fast fiend from Avon, Indiana has found out just how “touchy” the racing craft can be, saying “I know the ET wouldn’t have been much better, but my miles per hour might have been in the 131s like the only two runs that I ran out.”

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-indiana-corvette-drag-racer-lifts-after-hood-pops-open/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Crash-1-400x188.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Crash-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Crash-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Crash-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/11/Crash-1-300x141.jpgCompuware’s C6.R Finishes Second At Petit Le Manshttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/compuwares-c6-r-finishes-second-at-petit-le-mans/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=compuwares-c6-r-finishes-second-at-petit-le-mans
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/compuwares-c6-r-finishes-second-at-petit-le-mans/#commentsThu, 25 Oct 2012 00:17:03 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=135284Compuware’s #3 C6.R driven by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor finished second for the fifth time in a series of 10 races as part of the American Le Mans GT series at Road Atlanta. First place went to the #1 Ferrari driven by Toni Vilander, beating the C6 by a super-close 30.676 seconds after 9 hours and 37 minutes of racing.

The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta became a contest of fuel economy as Vilander’s Ferrari crossed the finish line on the winning lap without a final fuel stop, Vilander stopping for fuel 8 hours and 28 minutes into the race while the Compuware Vette stopped for fuel just 13 minutes later under the control of Antonio Garcia.

It was a loss for the Corvette Racing team, but a thing of sweet revenge for Ferrari as Corvette Racing won the Petit Le Mans two years ago under similar circumstances when Ferrari’s leading car’s fuel cell ran dry on the final lap. Driver Garcia applauds the Ferrari win, saying, “It was a good gamble for them; at the end they stretched it and they got the victory.”

Jan Magnussen was a little sad that Corvette wasn’t the endurance race’s winning marquee, but he still maintained his good sport composure. “It’s hard not to be a little disappointed, but that’s how it is. Tonight’s result was an indication of how our season has gone — so close and yet so far. We had a fantastic car, we just missed out at the end.”

But no matter how disappointing second place in this race was for Chevy’s flagship, Corvette’s time in the GT class has been an overall success as the marque won this year’s Michelin Green X Challenge. Will Corvette take the GT class next year? It’s yet to be seen, but stay tuned as we continue to hold faith in our favorite flagship!

This last August, we observed the conditions of Europe in relation to the motoring hobby and our conclusion was that even though the Continent had an insatiable love for all things related to American performance, they simply didn’t have enough legitimate dragstrips around to be able to do anything about it.

As we noted in our August coverage of the VTG Vette from Poland, many of the places where organized drag racing takes place in Europe are actually disused airstrips, and the Kiscunlachaza Airport in Hungary is one such spot. Forget about a carefully groomed dragstrip launch pad and a spray-and-drag between rounds of competition – here, not having weeds growing through the expansion joints is about as much as you can expect.

In our featured video, VTG’s turbocharged and nitrous-injected C3 runs an amazing 8.09 second pass at Kiscunlachaza with an awe-invoking trap speed of nearly 200 miles per hour. This is of course thanks to a massive “Thumper” T106 turbo from Turbonetics force-feeding a punched-out LT1 mill that also uses a direct port wet nitrous system jetted for 600 horses from NOS.

With a solid truck frame fitted with a Syclone/Typhoon front clip, VTG's 8-second Vette sends turbocharged and nitrous-shot power to all four wheels.

Drag race conditions are a bit more primitive overseas than they are here in the States, but the Poland-based speedbuilders have remedied this by building their C3 on top of a solid truck frame with a GMC Syclone/Typhoon front clip to make the fast Vette into a permanently all-wheel-drive platform.

As if turbos and nitrous simultaneously weren’t enough to make for an amazing 8-second Vette, VTG’s LT1 motor is bored and stroked from 5.7 to 6.3 liters, proving once more that the LS series isn’t the only late-model engine family from GM that’s been enjoying radical race builds for strip and track applications over these last few years.

In fact, if you could show us an LS car today built with the hunger for horsepower and the knack for ingenuity that VTG’s C3 has been built with, then we’ll write an article just on that! The title: Whatever Happened To The Small-Blocks?!

Southern California is no stranger to illegal street racing and the potentially fatal consequences that could (and often do) follow. In fact, last July we reported on a horrific crash in San Diego’s “College Area” involving an unfortunate Z06 and a fire hydrant in which the C5 ended up completely on its back.

San Diego residents who witnessed the crash gave epic account of how a street race ended in a frenzy of toppled-over hydrants and scattered rocks, but the fact that such chaos was the direct or indirect result of street racing seemed to be everyone’s biggest preoccupation.

Here in Los Angeles, street racing is as prevalent as it is anywhere on the West Coast, probably even more so as such attractions as the Petersen Automotive Museum and our annual International Auto Show have caused the City of Angels to be heralded as one of America’s most car-crazed cities.

And if you think that LA’s street race scene will be dissolving anytime soon, then think again as you watch our featured video of a crash between a C4 and an SUV on the city’s own Washington Boulevard near Soto Street.

The crash, which several witnesses believe resulted from an earlier street race, occurred around 12:30 AM on Monday and both cars were engulfed in flames by the time authorities arrived on the scene.

Police also believe that a street race led to the incident, and one of the vehicles was reported as stolen. Both drivers involved fled before authorities arrived, and so far no related injuries have been reported.

Some Vette owners have been known in the past to do some pretty stupid things, even video taping themselves speeding in broad daylight. But no matter how many times we may say it, some people just never learn!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wrecked-vette-wednesday-a-c4-and-an-suv-collide-in-los-angeles/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/NBC-2-400x221.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/NBC-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/NBC-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/NBC-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/NBC-2-300x166.jpgVideo: Airstrip Race Action From This Year’s Texas Invitationalhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-airstrip-race-action-from-this-years-texas-invitational/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-airstrip-race-action-from-this-years-texas-invitational
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-airstrip-race-action-from-this-years-texas-invitational/#commentsWed, 17 Oct 2012 15:51:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=132884Texas Speed Syndicate of Houston has presented us with some of the Lonestar State’s best rolling start race action from what is undoubtedly one of the nation’s greatest amateur speed events, the Texas Invitational. With a tarmac strip of just over 1,500 feet in length, the event simulates a freeway/highway rolling start race from 60 miles per hour but under controlled conditions.

At this year’s “King of the Street” event, most of the entrees were in the 1,000+ horsepower range, many were in the 1,300-1,500 horse range, while very few were rated at anything less than 800 rear wheel horsepower. American rides weren’t the only drag race contestants, as several turbo Supras and other imports joined the battle for bragging rights.

Horsepower is usually the name of the game when it comes to competing in these ranks, but the Texas Invitational’s “King of the Street” event is more a contest of endurance than it is actual dyno numbers; those who are the Invitational’s “best of the best” are those whose car can last run after run, and at trap speeds of close to 200 miles per hour.

The Caddo Mills Municipal Airport in Caddo Mills, Texas was the setting for this year’s rolling start event, and a white turbo Supra had no problems going head-to-head with Dallas Performance’s S/C C6, both American and Japanese street fighters putting on a stunning show of skill.

It was a great collaboration of American muscle and foreign exotic motoring, and given this year’s event we’re sure that next year’s “King of the Street” event will be an equally-challenging test of straight line racing skill!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-airstrip-race-action-from-this-years-texas-invitational/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Texas-1-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Texas-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Texas-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Texas-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Texas-1-300x225.jpgVideo: Custom C3 Stars In “Mad Foxes”http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-custom-c3-stars-in-mad-foxes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-custom-c3-stars-in-mad-foxes
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-custom-c3-stars-in-mad-foxes/#commentsMon, 15 Oct 2012 15:14:49 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-custom-c3-stars-in-mad-foxes/Actors Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields starred in what eventually became a late-’70s cult classic, Smokey and the Bandit, but the real icon of the topsy-turvey country comedy was the black and gold Trans Am that became a symbol in the minds of many. Not only an automotive celebrity, the “Bandit’s” Trans Am became so famous that its image is still conjured at the very mention of Reynolds’ cowboy character.

Our favorite sports cars all too often become our favorite actors, but as we’ve learned from the aforementioned Burt Reynolds cinematic classic our favorite rides are not always cast into the most award-winning roles. The term “Euro-trash” doesn’t sound like one that’s too complimentary, but it fits our featured clip from Mad Foxes, a 1981 B-movie smash perfectly.

First released in West Germany in August of ’81 and directed by Paul Grau, the half-assed Nazi/biker film is a cheaply-filmed exploitation film revolving around the theme of revenge, as our featured protagonist and his C3 customized by Neufield Special Cars chases and gets chased by a mob of swastika-wearing street hoods.

As you’d probably expect, the trick C3 takes the spotlight, and if it doesn’t stand as evidence of what customizing in the late ’70s and early ’80s was all about then we honestly don’t know what will! The 3rd-Gen Vette’s stereotypical orange and yellow crescendo of custom striping screams of what was in vogue during the golden age of disco-era hot rodding.

What’s “hot” and what’s “not” definitely has changed over the last 30 years, but it makes you wonder what the world of customizing will be 30 years into the future. What do you think will be “cool” in 2042?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-custom-c3-stars-in-mad-foxes/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Madfox-2-400x216.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Madfox-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Madfox-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Madfox-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Madfox-2-300x162.jpgCorvette To Be The Featured Marque At Next Year’s Rolex Reunionhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-to-be-the-featured-marque-at-next-years-rolex-reunion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corvette-to-be-the-featured-marque-at-next-years-rolex-reunion
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-to-be-the-featured-marque-at-next-years-rolex-reunion/#commentsTue, 09 Oct 2012 16:25:46 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-to-be-the-featured-marque-at-next-years-rolex-reunion/Corvette’s history of endurance racing can be traced back to 1956 at the Sebring 12-hour race under the direction of Vette performance godfather, Zora-Arkus Duntov. Chevy’s vice president of global marketing, Chris Perry, acknowledges the cornerstone relationship between Duntov and America’s sports car: “His spirit is felt in today’s winning Corvette Racing program, which continues a proud legacy and one we’re looking forward to celebrating next summer.”

The legacy of Corvettes at Sebring and LeMans is one that is long-lived and often retold, but it was during the 1960 LeMans race, the marque’s very first year at the 24-hour French circuit, that Corvette won first place in the venue’s GT class when drivers John Fitch and Bob Grossman drove their Briggs Cunningham car to the finish line.

Road racing in America is a truly respectable sport that has its share of deep-seated roots, and no where is this heritage celebrated more than at the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, held at the Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway in Monterey, California. Corvette will be the featured marque at next year’s event in August, and all six generations of Vette are expected to be represented at the 2013 Reunion.

Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway sits in anticipation of next summer’s epic road race event, saying, “We look forward to working closely with the Corvette team on making next year’s celebration a monumental one for Corvette racers, owners and automobile enthusiasts… the Monterey Peninsula will rumble to life with Corvettes of every era.”

Earlier in this year’s American LeMans racing season, Corvette was a winner at Laguna Seca with a “one-two sweep” of the six-hour race, and Corvette Racing has won the 24-hour LeMans seven times, most recently in 2011 when they won the endurance race over Ferrari.

The last time that the Vette nameplate was honored as Rolex’s featured marque was in 2002, and its recognition in Monterey for the 2013 Reunion will occur during the car’s 60th anniversary model year. Even proving its racetrack maturity to the likes of Maranello, Italy’s greatest automaker, it’s no wonder that Corvette really is America’s sports car!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/corvette-to-be-the-featured-marque-at-next-years-rolex-reunion/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Rolex-3-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Rolex-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Rolex-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Rolex-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Rolex-3-300x199.jpgBarn Finds’ 1962 Vette Proves To Be A Lucrative Discoveryhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/barn-finds-1962-vette-proves-to-be-a-lucrative-discovery/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=barn-finds-1962-vette-proves-to-be-a-lucrative-discovery
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/barn-finds-1962-vette-proves-to-be-a-lucrative-discovery/#commentsMon, 08 Oct 2012 15:40:57 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/barn-finds-1962-vette-proves-to-be-a-lucrative-discovery/It’s really no secret that there are many potentially sweet rides out there that have been left for dead throughout the many uncharted fields of America, allowing them to slip under the radar and thus go unnoticed. It’s always a sad sight to see, but at the same time you can’t help but be intrigued when you wonder just what kind of stories some abandoned old cars carry with them.

The stories themselves and the car owners who made them possible are by far the most important players to the classic auto restoration industry, and it’s the people and stories that assign a cultural significance to each classic car that has ever done its service on the road. Whenever you look at a classic car, there is at least one moment in your own timeline that that car takes you back to and suspends you in.

Barn Finds’ featured ’62 Vette is no exception, and before it was put up at a current bid on eBay of $11,100 the early-’60s Vette sat in a barn for some 35 years until the current owner finally convinced the prior to hand the car over as what could possibly be a killer classic or resto mod.

The Vette is cool, though Barn Finds bemoans a previous owner’s decision to bolt a non-correct scooped hood on to the convertible and paint it metal flake where originally it featured a white on red interior color scheme.

The ’62 also had a correct V8 and manual, though Barn Finds is just a little bummed to report that the original running gear is now long-gone and may be hard to trace.

At some point, the early Vette’s owner is hoping to get $25k for the car which could be justifiable on the basis that it was originally a very nicely-ordered and equipped convertible, though Barn Finds reminds us that this is a very “rough” example of old iron and therefore $25k may be a bit steep.

Everyone has their own opinion as to what is “too much” or “too little” for a classic car, but as it stands Barn Finds’ featured ’62 Vette is a potentially cool build that may involve quite a bit of TLC, but once restored could make a very cool cruiser!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/barn-finds-1962-vette-proves-to-be-a-lucrative-discovery/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Barn-Vette-3-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Barn-Vette-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Barn-Vette-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Barn-Vette-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/10/Barn-Vette-3-300x200.jpgPfadt’s ST1 Z06 Race Vette Currently For Salehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/pfadts-st1-z06-race-vette-currently-for-sale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pfadts-st1-z06-race-vette-currently-for-sale
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/pfadts-st1-z06-race-vette-currently-for-sale/#commentsMon, 01 Oct 2012 15:54:26 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/pfadts-st1-z06-race-vette-currently-for-sale/Pfadt Race Engineering’s Z06 ST1 racer originally started life as an ’06 Z06 that had 6,000 miles registered on the odometer. During the very first phase of its endurance racing career, the C6 was used by the Salt Lake City, Utah builder as a suspension development car, and since that time it has clocked 18,000 miles.

It’s currently in need of a motor, but according to Pfadt, “The car has everything for the drivetrain with the exception of a good longblock. An LS7 longblock can be purchased for about $10,000 from several sources… it is a waste of money to install anything other than a production LS7 in the car.”

Piloted by driver Danny Popp in ’09, the Z06 won NASA TTU, the time trial version of ST1, and ran in the low 1.57s on the outer loop at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Pfadt Engineering is currently asking $30k for the nationally-competitive C6 endurance car, but as they claim that it would cost at least $75k to build a similar Vette it’s a great deal.

As it currently stands, Pfadt Race’s Z06 uses a number of the company’s components to get its job done at the track, including FeatherLight DA coilovers, Pfadt’s in-house spherical bearing and camber kit, race bars, pillow blocks, engine and transmission mounts, a C6Z cage and a carbon fiber driveshaft.

Pfadt also offers the potential buyer a choice in wheel selection so that the track-built Z06 can be even further customized; “I have a set of CCW wheels and 2 sets of ATS wheels for it. You can choose one set to go with the car; the others can be purchased.”

Other than the endurance track profile to which the C6 stands true, Pfadt has made a special effort to keep the Vette as close to GM-correct as they could. “It is a very easy to drive car and easy to maintain because there is very little ‘custom’ on the car. You can buy parts from the GM dealer to fix almost anything on a race weekend.”

The windshield wipers, defroster and other electrical components on the car still work, but drop in an engine and it’s ready to go out and kick ass whenever you are. For $30k and your choice of custom wheels, including all of its other race-ready features, do you find Pfadt Race Engineering’s time trial Z06 to be a reasonable value?

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/pfadts-st1-z06-race-vette-currently-for-sale/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Pfadt-Z06-3-400x253.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Pfadt-Z06-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Pfadt-Z06-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Pfadt-Z06-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Pfadt-Z06-3-300x189.jpgVideo: Car And Driver Pits The ZR1 Against The Z06http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-car-and-driver-pits-the-zr1-against-the-z06/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-car-and-driver-pits-the-zr1-against-the-z06
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-car-and-driver-pits-the-zr1-against-the-z06/#commentsTue, 25 Sep 2012 18:10:13 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-car-and-driver-pits-the-zr1-against-the-z06/Car and Driver’s tech editor, Michael Austin, recently pitted what is by far Chevy’s fastest production Vette to date, the 638-horse ZR1, against the nearly-as-fast Z06 to find similarities and differences between the two flagship models. What Austin ultimately came to conclude was that the Z06 was not far behind the ZR1 in performance, and for quite a few bucks less.

There are some key differences between the two supercars, as Austin points-out in his comprehensive road test at Desert Center, California’s Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. A large part of this is in both Vettes’ use of carbon fiber, as the more expensive ZR1 uses carbon fiber in the construction of its roof, hood and ceramic brakes, where the Z06 only uses carbon construction in its floors and fenders.

Performance differences, however, are not as radically different as one may think, and while the largely carbon ZR1 achieves a 0-60 of 3.4 seconds with a quarter-mile pass of 11.4 at 130 MPH, the Z06 proves itself nearly as potent with a 0-60 run of 3.5 seconds and a quarter-mile pass of 11.6 @ 126 miles per hour.

Aside from the recorded stats, Mike Austin claims that the ’13 Z06 is a bit lighter and revs higher than its bigger and much more powerful sibling. “Personally, I prefer the Z06; it’s a little bit lighter [and] the engine’s more responsive. Some of that’s just the noise that it makes, but it revs higher and it seems like when you put your foot down the throttle feels much more immediate.”

Possibly the biggest track advantage that the ’13 ZR1 holds over the current production year’s Z06 is its awesome ability to corner and it’s jaw-dropping top end, as the all-new ZR1 is capable of over 1g while achieving a top speed of 205 miles per hour, while the 505-horse Z06 only tops-out at 198 – still substantially quick.

But as far as the overall driving experience offered by the ZR1, there is apparently more of a show-off factor involved than anything else, and Mike Austin even goes as far as to say that the ZR1 “shows-off” perhaps just a little too much. “You’ve got this clear lens in the hood that shows plastic at the top of the intercooler, which is really showing nothing… the ZR1 has always been kind of a show piece.”

So taking all of the build and performance differences into consideration, does C & D’s Mike Austin still prefer the Z06 over the ZR1? According to Austin, the ’13 ZR1 is the Vette to take to “Woodward Avenue or any stoplight drag races,” but in all he still views the Z06 as the driver’s choice. “That’s what makes the Z06 my favorite Corvette, because it just has this noise all the time and it makes you always want to floor it and let-off really quick and hear the cackle from the exhaust.”

Car and Driver has their mind set; which ’13 flagship Vette is your favorite?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-car-and-driver-pits-the-zr1-against-the-z06/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/C-D-1-400x218.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/C-D-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/C-D-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/C-D-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/C-D-1-300x163.jpgVideo: The Girls Of Corvettes At Carlisle’s Beauty Contesthttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-girls-of-corvettes-at-carlisles-beauty-contest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-the-girls-of-corvettes-at-carlisles-beauty-contest
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-girls-of-corvettes-at-carlisles-beauty-contest/#commentsMon, 24 Sep 2012 15:27:56 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-girls-of-corvettes-at-carlisles-beauty-contest/Last week, we brought you the ultimate fusion of Vette and girl when we covered LMR of Houston, Texas’ sexy photoshoot with gearhead babe, Sarah Leann. Posed next to LMR’s ’13 ZR1, it was safe to assume that Sarah was the true star of the show.

It’s obvious that the real reason we’re here is to cover Corvettes, but let’s be real; when a girl with a beautiful face and body stands next to a hunk of fiberglass or steel with an engine, who do you think is likely to take the spotlight? From our featured video from Corvettes At Carlisle in Carlisle, Pennsylvania we assume that you’ve already figured out who exactly is taking center stage.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s a hard toss-up; we like fast cars just as much as we adore pretty faces. But as you can see from the beauty contest at Pennsylvania’s Corvettes At Carlisle, these “pretty faces” share our undying love of everything Vette and indeed everything Chevy.

Admit it, for as long as you’ve been a gearhead your idea of the “perfect girl” has consisted of a woman who’s not afraid to take out a wrench and work under a hood. For those guys out there who never thought that such a girl could exist, then watch our featured beauty contest a little more closely.

Our featured beauty queens offer far more than just a smile; they have ambition and when it comes to Vettes, they know that not all performance cars are created equal! As for us spectators, we know what we like, and when it comes to America’s original sports car the Carlisle beauty queens know the difference between a Corvette and just another road racer!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-girls-of-corvettes-at-carlisles-beauty-contest/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Carlisle-beauty-1-400x292.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Carlisle-Beauty-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Carlisle-Beauty-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Carlisle-Beauty-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Carlisle-Beauty-2-300x219.jpgTime Lapse Video Captures The Genesis Of An LS9http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/time-lapse-video-captures-the-genesis-of-an-ls9/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=time-lapse-video-captures-the-genesis-of-an-ls9
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/time-lapse-video-captures-the-genesis-of-an-ls9/#commentsThu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:02 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/time-lapse-video-captures-the-genesis-of-an-ls9/Last November, the GM Performance Build Center of Wixom, Michigan reached a milestone by completing the construction of the company’s 100-millionth assembled small-block, in this instance a supercharged LS9 that was built for display purposes only.

When we covered this story at the beginning of this year, we discussed how the LS series as a whole was unique in that it used several electronic components that were never usually found on a conventional small-block, though few other changes have been implemented since the original 265 cubic inch motor’s introduction in 1955.

There have, however been changes in engine architecture since that time, and as discussed previously, the LS9 is to the General what an AMG motor is to Mercedes; each individual unit is assembled by an assigned engineer in an environment that is specific to the motor assembly process.

It’s no wonder then that GM’s supercharged LS9 is featured in Chevy’s most top-shelf, flagship sports car, the $110k+ ZR1 Vette. The ZR1’s hefty price tag is a massive one to pay, for sure, but the price is not too great when considering the level of care that goes into the construction of the Corvette’s powertrain.

Not many of us get to see this process; unfortunately, and usually you’d have to pay out of pocket to be in the Performance Build Center during the LS mill’s precise conception. That is until now.

Obviously the entire build process could not be encapsulated within the brief space of this article, but for this reason our featured video captures everything, from top to bottom, in less than three minutes. As you’ll see, everything from the motor’s bottom end to its head and valvetrain are assembled in precise fashion.

Again, if you are lucky enough to be a ZR1 purchaser then you do have the option to travel to Wixom to build your very own LS9 mill. Sadly, that only applies to a very few of us, so it’s safe to assume that for most of us this time-lapsed assembly video is as close as we’ll get!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/time-lapse-video-captures-the-genesis-of-an-ls9/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LS9-1-e1348161811782-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LS9-1-e1348161811782-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LS9-1-e1348161811782-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LS9-1-e1348161811782-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LS9-1-e1348161811782-300x225.jpgVideo: eBay Motors Restores A ’63 Split-Windowhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ebay-motors-restores-a-63-split-window/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-ebay-motors-restores-a-63-split-window
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ebay-motors-restores-a-63-split-window/#commentsThu, 20 Sep 2012 17:04:10 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ebay-motors-restores-a-63-split-window/When eBay Motors first found the ’63 split window that would become their resto project in February of this year, they not only intended for the C2 to be a collaborative effort, but also one that would take about 6 months to finish. What has come to make the project unique is that it has indeed (so far) been revamped in the style of the everyday motoring enthusiast.

Randy Nonnenberg of eBay Motors explains in detail how the C2 project started as a mess of different Vette parts that weren’t necessarily era-correct. “The car was found in Yakima, Washington and purchased via Buy-It-Now on eBay for $33,500. It ran and drove but had a good number of problems and was a mash-up of many different Corvette components.”

But the fact that it is a split window makes it the most coveted of any Vette built, and eBay Motors wanted to make sure that they maintained a historically-accurate appearance when restoring the C2. “Vintage racing is a big part of our inspiration at Bring A Trailer. Whether it’s nostalgia drag racing, vintage road racing or historic stock cars, we like the way real street cars were modified for performance back in the day, often times with backing from the factory.”

For eBay, the styling cues of vintage race cars hold an appeal that never seems to fade, as Nonnenberg elaborates. “Those cars don’t seem to age the way modern custom and show cars do, so we wanted to go for a period correct look.”

So far eBay Motors, with direction from their fanbase, has had to strip the C2 down to its very skeleton in order to restore it to the degree of precision that they are after.

It’s a work in progress, but thus far eBay Motors’ C2 split window is an endeavor that looks promising for them and their vast community of readers. Stay tuned to see what becomes of their project car; we know we will!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ebay-motors-restores-a-63-split-window/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/eBay-Motors-2-400x266.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/eBay-Motors-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/eBay-Motors-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/eBay-Motors-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/eBay-Motors-2-300x200.jpgVideo: LMR’s Sexy Photoshoot With Sarah Leannhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-sexy-photoshoot-with-sarah-leann/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lmrs-sexy-photoshoot-with-sarah-leann
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-sexy-photoshoot-with-sarah-leann/#commentsWed, 19 Sep 2012 22:48:10 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=126220Late Model Racecraft of Houston, Texas has built some of the most radical Vettes we’ve seen this year; last December, their 885-horse “Reaper” ZR1 ran a world record-setting pass of 9.682 at Texas’ Royal Purple Raceway, and in July they stunned us once again with their “Punisher” C6.

Whether by using Edelbrock’s E-Force to achieve ridiculous horsepower or by building their Punisher’s LS7 to a frightening displacement of 440 cubes, LMR knows no bounds in terms of late-model Vette tech and performance. In fact, there is possibly no other name in the Corvette world that is synonymous with over-the-top power like LMR.

Needless to say, the Houston shop has more than wooed us with their LS tech know-how, but now they are “wooing” us one more time, but not with a radical C6 build. In our featured photoshoot from LMR that happened this month, the object of affection is actually not a car, but a potential female pilot.

Watch as sexy and busty model Sarah Leann poses for the “infamous” GAMAFOTO, doing it right with one of LMR’s equally-fine subjects, a ’13 ZR1. New Vettes are hot as-is, but Sarah, with her baby doll face and dangerous curves adds a whole new life to the ZR1 while making us wonder who has the better of the bodylines.

As a word of caution, LMR’s deadly combination of girl and Vette just might leave stars in your eyes and drool from your mouth, so definitely make sure that you check your temperature and have a napkin handy before proceeding to watch. We’re in love with Corvettes, but Sarah Leann has just given us a reason to fall in love all over again!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-sexy-photoshoot-with-sarah-leann/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Leann-2-e1348167522947-400x300.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Leann-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Leann-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Leann-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Leann-1-300x164.jpgVideo: A C3 Shreds A Tire Near Turn 10 At CMPhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-c3-shreds-a-tire-near-turn-10-at-cmp/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-a-c3-shreds-a-tire-near-turn-10-at-cmp
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-c3-shreds-a-tire-near-turn-10-at-cmp/#commentsWed, 19 Sep 2012 22:25:07 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=126204In a recent YouTube post from Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina, a C3 was caught in action shredding a tire near the track’s notorious Turn 10, also known as “The Kink.” Nearly sending rubber right into the face of our onboard onlooker, the C3 racing mishap is yet another lesson in what not to do with your Corvette.

And when it comes to our favorite sports car, we’ve seen drivers doing anything and everything from out of control doughnuts to cruising the Amazon with extra-terrestrial beings. But car failures, whether on the track or on the street, are just not good, and as our POV car approaches speeds of up to 96 miles per hour we can’t help but wonder just how long it will be before we get to the payoff…

Sure enough, as both our camera car and C3 approach The Kink, the Corvette blows a tire and with a sharp howl sends a rubber shard across the CMP tarmac. It looks like a potentially dangerous spot to be in, but luckily our camera car doesn’t seem to be too deterred by the blowout.

So what can we learn from the CMP frenzy? If common sense kicks in at all, then our first lesson for today should be relatively simple: whether on the track or the street, always check your tires, because without those nobody is going anywhere.

The driver of our featured C3 had to learn this lesson the hard way, and we’ll bet you anything that that person will be paying closer attention to basic maintenance and repair from now on!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-c3-shreds-a-tire-near-turn-10-at-cmp/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/CMP-1-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/CMP-11-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/CMP-11-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/CMP-11-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/CMP-11-300x164.jpgVideo: Drifting Showdown Between a C6 and the Po-Pohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-drifting-showdown-between-a-c6-and-the-po-po/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-drifting-showdown-between-a-c6-and-the-po-po
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-drifting-showdown-between-a-c6-and-the-po-po/#commentsTue, 18 Sep 2012 18:40:12 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=126021Once when asked about his own car collection, a San Fernando Valley local in Southern California said that out of all of them, his ’87 Grand National was his favorite. He placed it above his off-the-wall collection of Japanese import door-slammers. When asked to explain why, he simply said, “Cops don’t like imports, but they don’t mess with muscle cars.”

While there are plenty of police officers in the ranks of hot rod and musclecar enthusiasts, even driving something as all-American as a new Corvette isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, and every Y-body owner knows to look over his shoulder before attempting anything like the car’s full performance on the street. What they don’t expect, though, is to see a police Crown Vic following them, drift for drift…

Watch as both cop and “robber” tear it up, each seemingly trying to outdo the other. The tire-smoking C6 can run but it can’t hide, and the police cruiser Crown Vic is right on its tail in this cunning display of smoke and slip angle.

But no matter how impressive of a performance, we don’t recommend trying this at home, even if the police do have a preference for American steel over Japanese rice.

Even if you’re driving a super-cool Vette like our featured C6, chances are that public displays of mechanical fury such as that featured here will land you in the big house unless performed in a controlled environment.

If you’re not afraid of being arrested, then do what you will. As for our featured video, the only crime that was committed here is that a Ford tried to outdo a Chevy!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-drifting-showdown-between-a-c6-and-the-po-po/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-drift-1-400x310.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-drift-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-drift-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-drift-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-drift-1-300x232.jpgVideo: LG Motorsports’ C6 Z06 Does Warehouse Doughnutshttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lg-motorsports-c6-z06-does-warehouse-doughnuts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lg-motorsports-c6-z06-does-warehouse-doughnuts
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lg-motorsports-c6-z06-does-warehouse-doughnuts/#commentsTue, 18 Sep 2012 17:41:25 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lg-motorsports-c6-z06-does-warehouse-doughnuts/Welcome to today’s webisode of “Would You Do This To Your Vette?” and for those of you who read our work this last July, you may remember that one of our previous installments involved a couple of doughnut freaks at Croatia’s Sveti Martin resort. While there, we saw first-hand just what kind of carnage can be done when you’re in your Vette and you just have way too much time on your hands.

Now we’re doing it again, except this time we hyperlink over to Emory, Texas, where a bad-ass C6 Z06 built by LG Motorsports of Plano, Texas is engaging in some behavior that is just as unnecessary as that which we saw from the red C4 in Croatia.

This time, the doughnut-busting fiend in question is a 793-horse Z06 owned by Koby Kearney. Obviously we’re dealing with a lot more horsepower here than we were at Sveti Martin, but does that warrant the kind of tire-shredding antics that are on display in our featured video?

Some of you who are the biggest Vette buffs at heart may feel that this is a waste of a perfectly-good C6, especially in light of the fact that so much work has been done to the black Z06 in terms of performance.

Would you do doughnuts in your car if you knew that it was a modded Z06 that’s already in the $60k+ range as is?

We’ll leave that up to you, but as we watch the black Vette kick up clouds of smoke and dust inside the Emory warehouse we can’t help but fear that this may be putting at risk both the driveline and the bodywork.

Would you risk it to see what your Z06 can do? If you want to then go for it, but we wouldn’t recommend it; why put yourself in a position where you have to put a home mortgage down on a new crate motor?!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lg-motorsports-c6-z06-does-warehouse-doughnuts/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LG-Vette-2-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LG-Vette-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LG-Vette-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LG-Vette-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/LG-Vette-2-300x164.jpgVideo: Street Shop Uses CAD To Make ’53-82 Vette Chassishttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-street-shop-uses-cad-to-make-53-82-vette-chassis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-street-shop-uses-cad-to-make-53-82-vette-chassis
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-street-shop-uses-cad-to-make-53-82-vette-chassis/#commentsTue, 18 Sep 2012 17:34:17 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-street-shop-uses-cad-to-make-53-82-vette-chassis/For those who would like to be able to enjoy the ride and handling of a new Vette with the bodystyling of an early model, Street Shop Inc of Athens, Alabama offers a solution that’s sure to make your ’53-82 car drive and corner far better than it did when it was new from the GM factory.

In fact, the very technique behind Street Shop’s suspension and chassis perfection lies in their in-house use of CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) to design a Mandrel-formed, 4″ x 2″ x 0.12″ rectangular tube frame that far surpasses the construction of the original welded, thin-walled platform used in all C1, C2 and C3 Vettes.

A single-piece chassis, Street Shop’s frame also weighs less than a factory C1-3 frame while advanced CAD design allows the use of ’88 and later Vette suspension components. According to shop owner, Tray Walden, the combination makes for a fusion of old and new that is truly unique. “What we offer is a completely new chassis using C4 or C6 suspension – coilover shocks, bigger swaybars, better brakes [and] late-model drivetrains so we can basically create a new Corvette that looks and feels like an old Corvette.”

Street Shop’s use of CAD in ensuring frame geometry also allows for the construction of an all-new chassis that still maintains the factory locations for the Vette’s body, engine, and bumper mounting brackets, while the use of coilovers at all four corners allows for a ride dynamic that can be adjusted by swapping to springs with a different rate.

Also allowing for a more extensive array of brake and motor options, Street’s chassis can accommodate 4 or 6-piston Wilwood calipers, along with small and big-block mills or any motor from the entire Gen III LS lineup.

Street Shop of Athens currently holds three U. S. patents, a sign that they’re about innovation not imitation. Now anyone, for the right amount of money and imagination, can own a truly unique Vette that no one else has!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-street-shop-uses-cad-to-make-53-82-vette-chassis/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Street-Shop-2-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Street-Shop-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Street-Shop-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Street-Shop-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Street-Shop-2-300x164.jpgVideo: Z06 vs Honda Street Race Almost Ends Badly…http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-z06-vs-honda-street-race-almost-ends-badly/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-z06-vs-honda-street-race-almost-ends-badly
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-z06-vs-honda-street-race-almost-ends-badly/#commentsTue, 18 Sep 2012 17:14:30 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=125981The Real World is a messy place – broken asphalt, puddles of petrochemicals shed by slowly dying engines, dirt and sand carried on the wind, and of course, all those damn people wandering around conspire to make it a dangerous place to race. Combine that with bad driving, and we begin to answer the question, “how can a C6 Z06 lose a street race to a Honda Civic?”

The answer to this is rooted in our story’s primary concern of “sloppy driving,” and we’ll go out on a limb by saying that there truly is no replacement for displacement; if the Vette wasn’t piloted by such a sucky driver who didn’t know how to get the tires to stick, the miniscule Civic, even with a massive turbo, would have never stood a chance.

One YouTube commenter elaborates, “I’m pretty sure this has happened to everyone on here but maybe not cause you don’t know about real power. And the guy wasn’t on slicks, are you kidding me? I wanna see most of you drive a stock Vette; bet you’ll lose traction.”

Others who viewed the makeshift street race apparently share in the sentiment, “Too much power for a guy that can’t drive.”

Meanwhile, other spectators have chosen to seal the deal, call it a truce and just accept the cold fact that in this instance American muscle has been obliterated, much to our dismay, by rice, “A loss is a loss; find a better driver.”

That last comment is sweet and simple, and it’s a fact that really none of us want to digest, but paradoxically it is also the commentary with which we most agree; if you know in your rational mind that you truly can’t handle that much horsepower, then maybe it’s best to go back to your day job and drive an SUV!

This is probably one of the saddest things you'll ever see...

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-z06-vs-honda-street-race-almost-ends-badly/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-crash-2-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-crash-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-crash-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-crash-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/09/Vette-crash-1-300x164.jpgNeil Armstrong’s ’67 Vette Still Up For Salehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/neil-armstrongs-67-vette-still-up-for-sale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=neil-armstrongs-67-vette-still-up-for-sale
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/neil-armstrongs-67-vette-still-up-for-sale/#commentsThu, 30 Aug 2012 21:30:15 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/neil-armstrongs-67-vette-still-up-for-sale/With the recent death of first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, America lost one of its most important pioneers. Without a doubt, our country is one that is built upon an attitude of progress, and no one encapsulated that attitude through his career more than Armstrong.

The very first living, breathing man to set foot upon the moon’s forlorn surface, Armstrong was much more than ahead of his time. His will to travel into the future, however, was also reflected in his taste in cars, and up until his passing the Vette that he drove was not too much more than a sidenote on the eBay auction block.

This has quickly changed, and the status of Armstrong’s former Vette, a ’67 coupe, is now a thing of epic proportions. Armstrong drove the car for a year through a special leasing program that was offered to astronauts by Melbourne, Florida Chevy dealer, Jim Rathmann. After he returned the car, it was bought by a dealership employee but was stored and unused from 1981 till February of this year.

Its current owner, Joe Crosby of Merritt Island, Florida doesn’t have any plans to put the ’67 back up for auction, but has received at least three calls from participants in a prior auction and is willing to consider any serious offers. This is after the car failed to sell while it spent time in May on eBay’s auction block at a high bid of $251,638.

Though the car is a fairly tattered specimen of late-’60s Corvette and barely runs; it is valuable not only in the historical context of its former owner, but in the sense that it is largely an all-original car, save for a replaced carburetor, water pump, muffler, wheels and what Fox News describes as a “very bad set of custom fender flares.”

Otherwise, Armstrong’s former Vette is an original 390-horse, 427 car with a 4-speed and factory air conditioning. While not the most fire-breathing of the 427 Vettes, the iconic status of the car’s owner is sure to attract those motoring enthusiasts who are deeply in love with everything American!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/neil-armstrongs-67-vette-still-up-for-sale/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Armstrong-2-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Armstrong-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Armstrong-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Armstrong-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Armstrong-2-300x168.jpgThe Empire State Building Shooter’s Car Art Gallery Revealedhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-empire-state-building-shooters-car-art-gallery-revealed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-empire-state-building-shooters-car-art-gallery-revealed
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-empire-state-building-shooters-car-art-gallery-revealed/#commentsTue, 28 Aug 2012 23:19:56 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-empire-state-building-shooters-car-art-gallery-revealed/Jalopnik reporter, Patrick George brings us a terrifyingly artistic story straight from the pages of New York Times about Empire State Building shooter, Jeffrey T. Johnson, who last Friday shot his boss after being laid-off some time ago from Hazan Imports, a company that distributes belts and handbags.

Johnson, who was gunned down by police, had worked as a designer for Hazan for nearly two years before losing his job. Co-workers who knew Johnson describe him as being extremely careful to detail and overall eccentric, “He was so detail-oriented. If he had a free minute, he would start doing origami.”

In his spare time, Johnson ran a website through which he tried to sell T-shirts while displaying his odd yet intriguing pieces of automotive art. The New York Times describes the creative influences behind Johnson’s artwork, “A childhood love of comic books seems to have forged his career. He had returned to the form in recent months, posting intricate illustrations of cars on a website he ran, stjollysart.com, as a way to make money…”

Among the most fascinating of Johnson’s collection is his rather lifelike drawing of a ’63 split-window, along with an incredibly Ed Roth-like rendering of a Ferrari 330 P4. His other GM drawings include a yellow ’57 post sedan and what appears to be an early-’70s era Trans Am, pictured alongside an attractive woman character who shows up consistently in Johnson’s work.

The strange factor of Johnson’s art is evident in his off-the-wall angles and unconventional uses of proportion, using careful detail in the drawing of the featured cars while using a slightly more sloppy hand when drawing people or other background objects.

His artwork is also characterized by the juxtaposition of fighter jets and animals, such as in his drawing of what appears to be a green Jaguar in which the backdrop is adorned by an eagle sporting jet turbines as its primary source of flight.

The car drawing gallery is a strange trip through the mind of a man whose brain clearly was not functioning within the “normal” realm, but it also gives unique perspective into the cars, and especially the rare style of early-’60s ‘Vette, that we’ve all come to know and love.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-empire-state-building-shooters-car-art-gallery-revealed/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Johnson-2-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Johnson-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Johnson-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Johnson-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Johnson-2-300x168.jpgRK Motors’ Pro-Touring ’59 C1 Is Built To Perfectionhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/rk-motors-pro-touring-59-c1-is-built-to-perfection/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rk-motors-pro-touring-59-c1-is-built-to-perfection
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/rk-motors-pro-touring-59-c1-is-built-to-perfection/#commentsThu, 23 Aug 2012 21:52:11 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/rk-motors-pro-touring-59-c1-is-built-to-perfection/For those of you who have been following RK Motors of Charlotte, North Carolina long enough, you probably have come to the conclusion that building a “pro-touring” car is much more than just retrofitting new crap into an old shell. Truth be told, there are a lot of custom builders out there who throw all of that new stuff into an old platform and it works, but the final product still looks cheesed together.

From what we have seen thus far from RK, this is never the case with the kind of cars that they sell, and our featured ’59 pro-touring C1 is no exception. A 1950’s sculpture powered by an LS7 chasing a 6-speed, their full-custom platform is as close to flawless as one can possibly get.

That’s because The Winning Collection of Asheville, North Carolina has made every stride possible to make their C1 into a turn-key custom that uses an original body and chrome, while not leaving too much else from the era. In fact, even the car’s chassis is a tubular platform built by Jamison’s Custom Corvette of Charleston, South Carolina.

Suspension-wise, no detail has been spared either; RK and TWC’s 1st-Gen ‘Vette is supported by a C4 suspension that includes a double A-arm front and independent rear, with adjustable QA1 coilovers all the way around. Massive power courtesy of the Katech-built LS7 is transferred to a rebuilt, Dana 36 differential with 3.73 gears.

Out of the box, a 427-cube LS from a ’12 Z06 puts out around 505 horses, but apparently Katech felt that this needed to be bumped just a little further. Consequently, they have furnished the LS7 mill with their own “Torquer” cam, high-lift springs, titanium retainers and stock heads that have been ported to 270cc on the intake side.

The result of Katech’s skilled machine work and clever use of valvetrain components has resulted in a late-model motor that puts out 600 horses with 570 feet pounds of torque, all of which chases a Tremec T56 transmission built by RPM Transmissions of Anderson, Indiana.

August in particular has been a hot month for RK Motors’ inventory of clean, pro-modded ‘Vettes, but as for C1 conversions, our featured ’59 shows just what can be done with a little imagination and resources, not to mention money!

If you follow Corvette Online regularly, chances are that you’re probably enjoying reading it as much as we enjoy writing it. The truth is you’re an enthusiast, and chances are that as such you probably not only spend your day reading about Corvettes, but you eat, drink and breathe this stuff.

But don’t you ever just wish that you could jump into the world of your computer screen or smart device and actually take part in the motoring action that we cover in our publications? Trust us, we definitely know that feeling, but luckily for all of us, pro Corvette racer Ron Fellows is giving enthusiasts a shot at winning one of two racing school driving packages through the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School and the “Fellows 5 Challenge.”

Located at the Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club in Pahrump, Nevada, Fellows wants you to be able to enjoy three days of live racing action just by answering five, multiple-choice questions correctly about Ron and his racing career. “I wanted to give fans a chance to come to Spring Mountain and experience our Corvette driving school.”

Some of the action at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Nevada

JR Motorsports, who also serves as Dale Earnhardt Jr’s management company, is responsible for the creative approach to Ron Fellows’ multiple-choice challenge. “JR Motorsports came up with the creative idea to make it an engaging game of predictions,” Fellows explains. “It gives fans a unique way to experience these two races, and rather than just give away one driving school package, now we’re giving away two – one for each race!”

The Ron Fellows Performance Driving School’s “Fellows 5 Challenge” is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if it’s one that seriously catches your interest then you can enter by logging on to either www.jrmracing.com or www.fellows5.com, upon which contestants will be asked multiple-choice questions based on several in-race scenarios.

If you’re a diehard ‘Vette fan who wants to know what it’s like to really open one up, then this is one bandwagon that you may seriously want to jump on!

Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin has a long history with Chevy’s flagship sports car, and it’s a history of racing and parts development that goes back to the 4.08-mile track’s initial opening in 1955. Road America’s president and general manager, George Bruggenthies, explains, “We’re excited to celebrate this longstanding association at the second annual Corvette World Tribute and equally excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Corvette Corral.”

Truth be told, America’s Corvette legacy probably could not have continued for some 60 years without Road America, as the Wisconsin track has been the performance parts testing ground and the testing site of corporate-proposed future models almost as long as the nameplate has been in existence.

The second annual Corvette World Tribute is scheduled to take place later this month, August 19 and according to Corvette Blogger’s Mitch Talley it is to be a festive Sunday that “will be marked with a variety of special events.”

Chevy Product Marketing Director of midsize and performance cars, Russ Clark, celebrates the historic union that the Corvette marquee and Road America have created. “It’s fitting that two icons of American racing, Chevrolet and Road America, have joined forces. Road America is known as ‘America’s National Park of Speed,’ and Corvette is America’s iconic sports car.”

Some of the motoring activities that will make up the Renaissance of all things ‘Vette include slalom courses and an autocross, a show complete with People’s Choice awards, track sessions for touring and race-prepped ‘Vettes, Karting Challenge and a road rally.

Needless to say, the second annual Corvette World Tribute will be a celebration of America’s sports car, but it will equally celebrate the kind of collaboration that has and continues to make high performance in America possible, while making it even better with each new generation.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/road-america-scheduled-to-host-the-corvette-world-tribute/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Road-America-1-400x246.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Road-America-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Road-America-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Road-America-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Road-America-3-300x218.jpgVideo: Joe Smiley Races His Canal-Salvaged C3 At The Trackhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-joe-smiley-races-his-canal-salvaged-c3-at-the-track/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-joe-smiley-races-his-canal-salvaged-c3-at-the-track
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-joe-smiley-races-his-canal-salvaged-c3-at-the-track/#commentsTue, 07 Aug 2012 18:18:55 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=117576Joe Smiley has an extensive resume that would impress even the most critical of employers; a Hamilton, Ontario local, he served on the city’s police force for 30 years before retiring in 1989. Even upon his retirement as Sergeant, Joe was a seasoned ‘Vette fan; “My first Corvette was a 1961 convertible bought in 1972 and [I] drove it for 35 years.”

During his time on the force and upon retirement, Joe juggled two ‘Vettes simultaneously and aside from his ’69 racer in our featured video, he also has a “Torch Red” 2000 convertible. The C3 that he and the Smiley family have dubbed the “Canal Rat” was first brought to Hamilton around ’76, when a fellow Canadian who originally owned the car had it stolen and pushed or driven into Ontario’s Welland Canal.

Joe describes the long and harsh time lapse that led up to his obtaining of the now beloved C3 – “The car was in the water for about 6 months and was recovered when the canal was drained for the winter in 1977… The Customs people of Canada decided that it should not have been released at that time, so it sat outside full of silt and water over the next winter.”

Smiley would eventually obtain the car as scrap and had it dialed-in by 1979. “When I was able to purchase it in the next spring it had been frozen, broken block and everything else… I fixed and patched the fiberglass and did a mild engine restoration for it and then went slalom racing with our Corvette Club.”

Eventually tiring of slalom, Joe and his brilliantly-built C3 became part of the road race scene near Toronto and have been involved with the sport ever since.

His canal wreck turned miracle is still very much a functional race car that has since had a second chassis thrown in underneath, and it currently sports a 350 punched 0.60 over and built to 12.5:1 compression, putting out an impressive 550 horses that chase a Muncie 4-speed plugged into a set of 4.10 cogs.

It’s amazing just how far Joe Smiley’s ‘Vette has come, from a sewer rat to a stout road racer, and hopefully the Toronto area’s road racing community will be graced by Smiley and his fast C3’s presence for a very long time!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-joe-smiley-races-his-canal-salvaged-c3-at-the-track/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Smiley-1-400x275.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Smiley-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Smiley-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Smiley-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Smiley-2-300x177.jpgWTF Of The Week: Jacko And His Pink Corvettehttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wtf-of-the-week-jacko-and-his-pink-corvette/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wtf-of-the-week-jacko-and-his-pink-corvette
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wtf-of-the-week-jacko-and-his-pink-corvette/#commentsMon, 06 Aug 2012 15:40:01 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wtf-of-the-week-jacko-and-his-pink-corvette/Perhaps you thought Angelyne was the strangest celebrity to ever be seen driving around in a pink Corvette? We’ll bet you there’s one who will even top her! Here’s a hint; who do we know from Southern California who, during his heyday, changed his nose as often as most people change underwear, had an amusement park in his backyard and had a pension for hanging babies from balconies?

If you guessed Pee-Wee Herman then you’re damn close, but not quite. Actually it’s much worse, as amateur filmmaker Natalie and her dad, James Kloster have documented in their rather disturbing short film of “Michael Jackson” and an equally-disturbing creature cruising the town in a pink ‘Vette that you wish you could own.

Watch as Jacko and his counterpart run right into a Viking on their way to the Amazon, with Jacko apparently under the influence as he deliberately ignores the co-piloting advice of his latest slumber party guest, a green… well, whatever it is straight from the whimsical world of “Yo Gabba Gabba.”

But for those of you who did follow our coverage of Los Angeles local,Angelyne last month you may recall the short but sweet commentary that Curbed Los Angeles made about her off-the-wall image when they said that she has “sacrificed her life to embodying everybody’s worst and weirdest ideas about Los Angeles…”

During the peak of his triumphant yet cartoonish career, Jacko not only did that for So Cal but for the whole of America and possibly the entire Western World as he “moonwalked” his way into our hearts with his white gloves and interchangeable parts.

We always knew that he was outlandish, but who would have ever known that the King of Pop was an avid ‘Vette fan?!

Image credit: People Magazine

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wtf-of-the-week-jacko-and-his-pink-corvette/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Jacko-2-400x291.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Jacko-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Jacko-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Jacko-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Jacko-2-300x218.jpgVideo: Dave And Steve Karr Test Their 355 In The Front Yardhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-dave-and-steve-karr-test-their-355-in-the-front-yard/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-dave-and-steve-karr-test-their-355-in-the-front-yard
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-dave-and-steve-karr-test-their-355-in-the-front-yard/#commentsFri, 03 Aug 2012 21:28:37 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-dave-and-steve-karr-test-their-355-in-the-front-yard/What’s terrific about the Karr family is that they are bound together by a common love of things automotive. In fact, Dave Karr of Atlanta, Georgia says that he and his dad Steve and wife Tiffany like to go to all of their favorite motoring venues together.

When it comes to pursuing performance build projects, the Karr family stays equally close, as seen in our featured video of Dave and Steve as they try to fine-tune Dave’s 350 small-block in their front yard. The 350 mill is from a ’69 ‘Vette that Dave and Tiffany bought last September, and by the time that this story is published Dave and Steve should already have the motor dropped into Dave’s ‘Vette.

This is a project that the father and son duo have been hacking at for a while now, and the motor itself is a small-block jigsaw puzzle that makes it hard to label but easy to squeeze streetable power out of. That’s because Dave’s 350 is built with a factory correct crank with a serial number that points to a ’70 LT1, while the factory block casting number contains a date pointing toward a ’73 motor.

But Dave also had a unique philosophy in mind when installing the motor’s Weiand “Stealth” intake, as he did so in hopes of bolting on a high-rise manifold while maintaining a factory small-block appearance. In order to do this, he ground off the intake’s “Weiand” logo and painted the whole piece in Chevy Orange while the Stealth manifold’s dimensions allowed for the maintaining of an original, small-block Corvette hood.

Dave’s motor also features a set of Brodix IK series aluminum heads with 2.02/1.60 valves, is bored 0.030 over to 355 cubes and features a solid lifter cam from COMP in order to bring the early ‘Vette pump to a respectable output of between 425-30 brake horsepower.

It’s so awesome to watch father and son bond over the mechanical music of a 350, and we’re sure that once finished, Dave’s ‘Vette will bring years of enjoyment and satisfaction, along with a strong sense of personal pride to the entire Karr family!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-dave-and-steve-karr-test-their-355-in-the-front-yard/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Karr-1-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Karr-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Karr-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Karr-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/08/Karr-2-300x164.jpgVideo: LMR Does It Again With Their “Punisher” C6http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-does-it-again-with-their-punisher-c6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lmr-does-it-again-with-their-punisher-c6
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-does-it-again-with-their-punisher-c6/#commentsMon, 30 Jul 2012 16:53:45 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-does-it-again-with-their-punisher-c6/The last time that we checked-in with LMR of Houston, Texas they showed us just how “Twisted” they can get when they used Edelbrock’s E-Force system to crank 591 horses on their C6 Grand Sport. It was a scary collaboration of blower and cam, but LMR’s high performance resume does not stop there.

There really is no replacement for displacement, and LMR has used their latest C6 conversion to push the cubic inch envelope even one step further. This is where their “Punisher” C6 comes in, and it’s an LS motor build that takes the high-tech small-block to new heights.

For those who never thought that such a compact, aluminum V8 could be built with such a massive bore, has LMR got a surprise for you. That’s because they’ve made use of a set of 4.135″ forged pistons from Wiseco, bringing the LS7’s displacement up to a staggering 440 cubic inches.

LMR’s built LS7 also makes use of Callies’ 6.125″ H-beam rods and ARP’s 2000 7/16″ bolts to hold everything together. The bottom end of the motor is just as built as the top, using Clevite’s MS 2199 H main bearings along with their CB 663 H rod bearings.

We already know from following LMR in the past that their “Stage 3″ conversion has been successful in squeezing massive power output from the C6 lineup, and when it comes to LMR’s horsepower-building technique it’s largely about head work.

For this reason, they’ve fitted the Punisher’s mill with a set of Stage 3 LS7 heads with titanium intake valves and springs good for up to 0.670″ lift.

The end result of LMR’s substantial ‘Vette build is an incredible output of 904.09 horses on nitrous, while putting out a still impressive 636.89 horsepower naturally-aspirated.

It’s a lot of power and cubic inches from a late-model ‘Vette, and it’s a milestone for LMR and for LS performance tech as a whole!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-does-it-again-with-their-punisher-c6/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Punisher-1-400x219.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Punisher-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Punisher-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Punisher-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Punisher-2-300x164.jpgVideo: Livernois Motorsports’ Stage 3 Z06 Runs In The Mid-9shttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-livernois-motorsports-stage-3-z06-runs-in-the-mid-9s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-livernois-motorsports-stage-3-z06-runs-in-the-mid-9s
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-livernois-motorsports-stage-3-z06-runs-in-the-mid-9s/#commentsTue, 17 Jul 2012 16:29:54 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-livernois-motorsports-stage-3-z06-runs-in-the-mid-9s/Livernois Motorsports of Dearborn Heights, Michigan has managed to squeeze massive horsepower out of a nitrous-fed ’08 Z06 using a substantial performance upgrade that they call their “Stage 3″ conversion. A combination of head and cam tweaks, the upgrade is good enough to make 630 rear wheel horsepower on the motor alone and 729 on the bottle.

But according to Livernois, the 100-shot of juice on their Stage 3 was actually a little bit of an overkill; the Dearborn Heights builder claims that the red Z06 was actually capable of running a 9.93 pass at 139 MPH naturally aspirated. The Stage 3 conversion itself, however involves much more than just a radical nitrous boost.

Livernois’ valvetrain upgrade consists of their in-house, Stage 3 cam ground specifically for the LS7 mill and tapping a set of dual valve springs. Also helping the LS7 to breathe massive air is a 102mm intake from FAST and a cold air system from Halltech.

The 729-horse Z06 was tuned by Livernois and uses a set of long tube headers and an x-pipe from Kooks to exhale all of its unbridled fury. In our featured video, we see firsthand how all of their Stage 3 tweaks have paid off as the red ‘Vette runs a 9.51 pass at 148.59 MPH with a stock transmission, bottom end, rearend and half shafts.

The nitrous-shot might have been, as Livernois Motorsports claims, a bit too much for an LS7-powered freak of nature that was already pushing 630 wheel horses to begin with. But with a mid-9 second pass in a ‘Vette that’s using a stock gearbox and a factory rear, we’re glad that they went that route anyway!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-livernois-motorsports-stage-3-z06-runs-in-the-mid-9s/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Livernois-1-400x218.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Livernois-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Livernois-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Livernois-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Livernois-1-300x164.jpgThe Original “Supernova” Racer ‘Vette Heads To Montereyhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-original-supernova-racer-vette-heads-to-monterey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-original-supernova-racer-vette-heads-to-monterey
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-original-supernova-racer-vette-heads-to-monterey/#commentsMon, 16 Jul 2012 19:24:28 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-original-supernova-racer-vette-heads-to-monterey/CorvetteBlogger.com’s Steve Burns offers a vivid yet informative illustration to paraphrase the racing career of the “Supernova,” the fuel-injected ’64 ‘Vette that was owned and driven by SCCA racer, Bill Jobe, “By definition, a supernova is the explosion of a star during which the star’s luminosity can increase by up to 20 times and most of the star’s mass is blown away at a high velocity. By our definition, a Corvette racecar can explode around treacherous racing circuits at equally high velocities.”

No better words could have ever been spoken of the legendary ‘Vette that helped Bill Jobe to win two SCCA National B production championships, along with more than 20 first place spots as Southwest Division Champ from 1971-72. Jobe campaigned his car throughout the 1972 race season, and each year he took it to the SCCA runoffs.

Now, Jobe’s legendary SCCA championship fuelie is up for auction at Monterey, California’s upcoming Russo and Steele’s, 12th Annual Monterey Auction. This year’s auction will be held from Thursday to Saturday, August 16-18 at 290 Figueroa Street in Downtown Monterey.

SCCA driver, Bill Jobe's 'Supernova' '64 'Vette still has its original Traco Engineering motor and original transmission intact, and is going up for bid at this year's Russo and Steele Auction in Monterey, California.

The car in question is a museum-worthy piece that is in “as raced” condition and has been since the ’70s. It sat in a garage for over 25 years and still has its original Traco Engineering motor with Ramjet injection intact. The original transmission, transistor ignition and shifter are also still present and accounted for.

This original SCCA ‘Vette is also one of the most well-documented race cars you will find, as it has under its glovebox the original VIN and trim tags. The car also features a current SVRA log book.

Even if you’re not currently in the market for what is a highly-historical and race-ready ’64 ‘Vette, then you can buy a general admission day pass for Russo and Steele’s auction for $20. But if you are, then this year’s Monterey Auction will be the hottest marketplace you can find!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-original-supernova-racer-vette-heads-to-monterey/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Supernova-1-400x296.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Supernova-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Supernova-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Supernova-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Supernova-1-300x222.jpgWrecked Vette Wednesday: Nitrous-Fed C5 Z06 Crashes In San Diegohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wrecked-vette-wednesday-nitrous-fed-c5-z06-crashes-in-san-diego/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wrecked-vette-wednesday-nitrous-fed-c5-z06-crashes-in-san-diego
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wrecked-vette-wednesday-nitrous-fed-c5-z06-crashes-in-san-diego/#commentsWed, 11 Jul 2012 16:03:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wrecked-vette-wednesday-nitrous-fed-c5-z06-crashes-in-san-diego/San Diego, California’s ABC10 and area reporter, Preston Phillips have reported that a man in what is known as the city’s “College Area” has crashed what later appeared to be a nitrous-shot, C5 Z06, in a turbulent crash that knocked over a fire hydrant and left rocks and debris scattered on the corner of Carrol Street and College Way.

The man driving the ‘Vette told the San Diego media that he was “not driving that fast,” but several of the College Area’s residents who witnessed the crash believed that street racing definitely had to be involved.

San Diego local Michelle Connolly describes her perspective of the horrific crash that left a perfectly-good Z06 lying on its back; “I was crossing the street going to the shopping center, and the car started screeching down in the right-hand lane and it looked like he was gonna turn… he missed it, hit the fire hydrant, [there was a] big crash…”

Other residents besides Connolly also got to witness the motoring mishap that was the cause of so much damaged property, “I heard it from a distance and I said, “WOW!” exclaimed one resident.

But Michelle Connolly’s only concern was that both the driver and passenger made it out okay. “I was hoping that the person or the people that were in there were okay, because it was a huge crash.”

Much to the surprise of San Diego locals and ABC10, both the driver and passenger of the C5 managed to crawl their way out of the car, though the unnamed passenger was transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance with what Preston Phillips describes as “unknown injuries.”

Needless to say, the College Area crash was one that resulted in a great amount of property damage and the spectacle of sightseeing that followed, but it also serves as a reminder of what can happen when messing around on public streets.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/wrecked-vette-wednesday-nitrous-fed-c5-z06-crashes-in-san-diego/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/College-1-400x301.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/College-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/College-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/College-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/College-1-300x225.jpgVideo: Angelyne And Her Pink C6 Dodge The Paparazzihttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-angelyne-and-her-pink-c6-dodge-the-paparazzi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-angelyne-and-her-pink-c6-dodge-the-paparazzi
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-angelyne-and-her-pink-c6-dodge-the-paparazzi/#commentsMon, 09 Jul 2012 21:10:23 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=113451Anyone who has ever hung around the more posh portions of the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles in general knows of the living Barbie doll who calls herself Angelyne. And with a pink C6 and a condo to match, how can you not love her?

But Curbed Los Angeles summed-up Angelyne and her strange facade when they described her almost all-pink habitat in a few choice words, “She’s sacrificed her life to embodying everybody’s worst and weirdest ideas about Los Angeles, and she just keeps on giving to the cause.”

Fantasy vs. Reality

But there is a certain sex appeal–strange but true–that follows Angelyne and her Barbie-shaped shadow, and the pink C6 ‘Vette that has become part of her unorthodox image is just as much a part of who she is in LA as the Mattel-like accessories that follow.

In our featured video, poor Angelyne – the “Barbie” of LA – is stalked by Paparazzi as she loads some of these “accessories” into the bright pink hatch of her fantasy ‘Vette, a bitchin’ car but one that has become associated with what is without a doubt one of the strangest faces in our fair, West Coast city.

Watch Angelyne as she desperately hides behind a Hello Kitty purse, trying to pay off the parking meter and once again become part of the plastic facade we all know as the City of Angels. Let’s face it: some people use their rides to create an extension of themselves, a goal in which Angelyne has definitely been successful.

It’s sad that the Paparazzi has made such a massive industry out of stalking people here on the West Coast, but again let’s face it: Isn’t that really what Los Angeles, California is all about? Hell yeah!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-angelyne-and-her-pink-c6-dodge-the-paparazzi/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/angelyne-billboard-400x243.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/angelyne-billboard-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/angelyne-billboard-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/angelyne-billboard-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/angelyne-billboard-300x182.jpgVideo: LMR Uses Edelbrock’s E-Force To Make 591 Horses On Their C6http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-uses-edelbrocks-e-force-to-make-591-horses-on-their-c6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lmr-uses-edelbrocks-e-force-to-make-591-horses-on-their-c6
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-uses-edelbrocks-e-force-to-make-591-horses-on-their-c6/#commentsFri, 06 Jul 2012 22:00:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-uses-edelbrocks-e-force-to-make-591-horses-on-their-c6/Earlier this year, we reported that Late Model Racecraft of Houston, Texas managed to squeeze 835 wheel horsepower out of a wicked ZR1 that they themselves dubbed “the Reaper.” For those of you who have been following LMR and the high-horsepower antics that they have become notorious for, you already know of their talents and legacy.

But behold, for it wasn’t enough that LMR’s over-the-top ZR1 became the fastest in the quarter. Now, LMR has made use of Edelbrock’s E-Force supercharger to yet again make crazy horsepower on a late-model ‘Vette that knows no bounds when it comes to cutting-edge looks and performance.

Introducing LMR’s latest piece of blown ‘Vette madness, the 591-horse “Twisted” Grand Sport, and twisted it indeed is. Not only does it make use of Edelbrock’s puffer specifically designed for ’08-12 C6s, but it also has a very special grind of camshaft which LMR refers to as their “Stealth” cam, which was ordered specifically by the car’s customer.

But apart from the breath of fresh air supplied by the E-Force unit, LMR’s Twisted C6 makes great use of a cold air induction system, stainless steel 1 7/8″ headers, MSD wires with NGK plugs, an underdrive pulley kit and a 160-degree thermostat, all part of a separate yet united package that LMR has deemed their C6 “Slayer” package.

What good does it all do? The proof is in the statistics, and as you can see from our featured video the dyno stats are impressive, with 591 horsepower to the wheels. With high flow injectors and a high output fuel pump to back up the already stout Twisted/Slayer performance combo this C6 has to be one of LMR’s greatest creations yet!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmr-uses-edelbrocks-e-force-to-make-591-horses-on-their-c6/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Twisted-2-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Twisted-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Twisted-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Twisted-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Twisted-2-300x168.jpgVideo: The Way ‘Vettes Roll In Croatiahttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-way-vettes-roll-in-croatia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-the-way-vettes-roll-in-croatia
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-way-vettes-roll-in-croatia/#commentsFri, 06 Jul 2012 18:34:57 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=113290The title of the article says it all: this is the way ‘Vettes just roll, apparently, in continental Croatia’s otherwise beautiful Sveti Martin. But there’s nothing pretty at all about the kind of treatment that the motor-happy hoons in our featured video are giving to their lipstick-red ’86 ‘Vette at Sveti Martin’s Trash & Burn American car and bike show.

A cabaret in the boondocks consisting of erotic car washes, “trash” movies and pin-up girls, Croatia’s “Trash & Burn” event welcomes all of America’s greatest in terms of two and four-wheeled beasts, but what they do with them, at least in our featured video, is worthy of the description “car porn.”

Ever wonder just how much those older LT1 mills can do when they’re really pissed-off? Well apparently the owner of this C4 had the same question as he romps and stomps on the tarmac that appears to be no stranger to burnt rubber.

If you think it’s rude the way we’re describing these donut-busting festivities, then you ought to watch our featured video just one more time to see what “rude” really is. It’s an orchestra of small-block sound, but it’s also a royal waste of a perfectly good ‘Vette.

Granted, an ’80s-era Y-body is not one of the most lusted-after machines in the Chevy world. But even so, do you think this is a fitting use for a not-quite classic car, or just abuse?

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-the-way-vettes-roll-in-croatia/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Croatia-2-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Croatia-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Croatia-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Croatia-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/07/Croatia-2-300x168.jpgVideo: Lingenfelter’s 1,000 Horse C6 On The Dynohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lingenfelters-1000-horse-c6-on-the-dyno/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lingenfelters-1000-horse-c6-on-the-dyno
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lingenfelters-1000-horse-c6-on-the-dyno/#commentsWed, 20 Jun 2012 15:47:17 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lingenfelters-1000-horse-c6-on-the-dyno/Lingenfelter Engineering breaks-down their true but simple formula for making their twin-turbo, 427ci C6 go fast in the standing mile: “For their size, Corvettes are light. And when you fit one of Chevrolet’s 3290-pound sports cars with an especially powerful engine… these cars fly.”

It’s obvious from the C6’s stats and from our featured video from Lingenfelter that “flying” was definitely part of the agenda when building the ’05 twin-turbo ‘Vette, as Lingenfelter Engineering has reported that the 1,038-horse car is capable of hitting over 200 MPH without even a second glance.

“This car with street tires ran the standing mile in 27.2 seconds at 212 MPH with traction being an issue, smoking the tires at 125 MPH in third gear.”

But for as massively impressive as these stats are, Lingenfelter claims that their late model ‘Vette could have done much more. “This car was putting down a blistering 1,038 HP at the rear wheels… Keep in mind this was not the maximum the car could produce but only our target horsepower.”

These output numbers were also the ones that were produced during our featured video’s chassis dyno test, and this particular dyno run was conducted right before Lingenfelter was getting ready to leave for Motor Trend’s June ’06, “Strike Force” standing mile shootout.

Lingenfelter describes their super fast C6 as no less than “ferociously fast,” and the car hits the 200 MPH mark in what they describe as “a distance of 4894 ft…”

The perfect combination of late model displacement and extreme forced induction, Lingenfelter’s twin-turbo C6 has got to be one of the fastest ‘Vettes that have ever run in the history of standing mile performance.

At the time of FG’s creation, the reality of large-scale R/C racing’s need for a new-and-improved sales sector was manifesting in a way that it never had, “As more and more demand grew for large scale R/C products in the U. S. so did the service end of the market.”

FG Supply founder Victor Garcia has since brought to the R/C car business more than twelve years experience in large-scale racing, and according to FG he brought his knowledge to the consumer and parts end of the unique hobby, “We also have some of the best 5th scale drivers in the U. S. which contribute to the sole purpose of improving the customer’s involvement in the large scale racing circuit.”

Our beautiful feature video, shot with a Sony A77 camera with a zoom lens, shows off just what the Los Angeles R/C supplier is capable of in terms of 1:5 scale R/C construction. This replica of a C6R ‘Vette is actually based on FG’s EVO-08, 1:5 gas-powered platform, and by the small ‘Vette’s detail you would almost swear that it’s the real thing.

It’s not often that we cover large-scale R/C cars in our business, but as you can see there is definitely a real market for them. FG Supply also sells 1:5 and 1:10 scale Formula 1 and other kind of race cars, including a race spec BMW M3.

The C6R in our feature video is nothing to pass off as a “toy,” however, as the car is 34 inches long and costs thousands of dollars to build.

The 1:5 scale ‘Vette is also as close to the real thing as you can get in the world of R/C racing, as it is a full carbon fiber car with upper sportsline arms, making it light and nimble as it is powerful.

A real Corvette is a high-dollar piece in today’s economy, especially in light of the fact that the 638-horse ZR1 is somewhere in the $110k+ price range. It’s not a bad investment if you have the money to throw around, but if not then the 1:5 scale, EVO-08 based version from FG Supply just may be a better alternative!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-an-rc-vette-from-fg-supply-tears-up-the-track/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/15-Vette-3-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/15-Vette-3-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/15-Vette-3-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/15-Vette-3-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/15-Vette-3-300x168.jpgVideo: LMR’s 1600 Horse ‘Vette Rips It Up On The Dynohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-1600-horse-vette-rips-it-up-on-the-dyno/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-lmrs-1600-horse-vette-rips-it-up-on-the-dyno
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-1600-horse-vette-rips-it-up-on-the-dyno/#commentsMon, 04 Jun 2012 16:33:14 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-1600-horse-vette-rips-it-up-on-the-dyno/It’s clear from the ZR1 style front splitter and side skirts on Late Model Racecraft’s twin-turbo Z06 that aerodynamics was of key importance in building the high speed ‘Vette. LMR of Houston, Texas has also benefited from the advanced wind tunnel testing of GM’s Aero Lab, a facility that began testing in August of 1980 for such factors as wind noise and coefficient of drag.

GM North America lead design engineer, Thomas Froling elaborates a little more on the aerodynamics testing process at Aero Lab, or GMAL, “The Aero Lab wind tunnel simulates a vehicle moving through the air by moving air past a stationary, instrumented vehicle.”

According to Froling, testing at GMAL is an expensive yet effective process, but it is one that has allowed LMR of Houston to get the most power with the least amount of wind resistance from their Voodoo Blue Z06, “If we charge an outside entity, the cost would be almost $2,000 per hour…This was the first time we brought back a customer’s production C6 into GMAL.”

Our featured video is a recent post from LMR, and it is of Late Model’s twin-turbo Z06 running all out on a loaded chassis dyno.

In this instance, horsepower pulls through in harmony with the aerodynamic effects of the ’08 ‘Vette’s ZR1-based splitter and skirts, as the car makes approximately 1656.1 RWHP and 1352.5 foot-pounds

But LMR’s twin-turbo setup is only the icing on an already radical “cake,” as the Z06 is stuffed with a 440 cube, aftermarket block with modded LS7 heads and a turbo spec solid-roller cam, all of which chases a TR-6060 six-speed with a G-Force 1-6 gearset and quad-disc clutch.

LMR owner Steve Fereday recalls the results from the ‘Vette’s initial aerodynamics test, “The equipment recorded a 0.373 drag coefficient and a +0.023 CL baseline.” After some eight hours of testing and modifying, LMR was able to reduce this drag coefficient to 0.307 while advancing lift to -0.030.

Because of the extensive amounts of testing and adjusting that have been invested into LMR’s super fast ‘Vette, the car has been heralded as the World’s Fastest Corvette to date. It’s another high horsepower feat from the mechanical geniuses at LMR, but it also speaks volumes about the importance of advanced engineering.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-lmrs-1600-horse-vette-rips-it-up-on-the-dyno/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/LMR-turbo-1-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/LMR-turbo-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/LMR-turbo-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/LMR-turbo-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/06/LMR-turbo-1-300x168.jpgVideo: A ZR1 Wipes Out At Buttonwillowhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-zr1-wipes-out-at-buttonwillow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-a-zr1-wipes-out-at-buttonwillow
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-zr1-wipes-out-at-buttonwillow/#commentsWed, 30 May 2012 15:58:02 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=98770Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, California is known as one of the premiere race and test tracks in the States. This is because of the track’s ability to function as a multi-venue speedway, namely because of its East and West loops which can either hold two events separately or together as a 3.1 mile solid track.

Because of its unique, multiloop layout and state-of-the-art facility, Buttonwillow has become a popular choice of track not only for car racing enthusiasts, but for go karters, motorcycle racers, media outlets and others. As seen in our featured video, it’s also a popular testing ground for the new generation of ZR1 ‘Vette, though the track proves here to not love the ZR1 as much as it loves Buttonwillow.

What looks like a firm run in and out of various turns suddenly goes awry as the once-clean, ’10 ZR1 takes a little bit of a mud bath. Truth be told, it’s a sad sight to see one of the most beautiful ‘Vettes in GM’s history take a bad turn into a sandpit, and the supercharged supercar causes a dirt devil that looks kind of cool on camera, though we assume that the dirt slinging showcase was one that was unplanned.

Our featured video is kind of an oxymoron, because as much as it serves as a testament to the ZR1’s road racing abilities it also serves as concrete evidence of what not to do with your late model ‘Vette on a road course.

One of the key features of the ZR1 in particular is its self-adjusting suspension; it’s only a shame that that technology couldn’t pull through on the Buttonwillow turns!

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-a-zr1-wipes-out-at-buttonwillow/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/05/Buttonwillow-1-400x225.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/05/Buttonwillow-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/05/Buttonwillow-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/05/Buttonwillow-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/05/Buttonwillow-1-300x168.jpgVideo: Ridetech Talks About The New Centerforce DYAD Clutchhttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ridetech-talks-about-the-new-centerforce-dyad-clutch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-ridetech-talks-about-the-new-centerforce-dyad-clutch
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-ridetech-talks-about-the-new-centerforce-dyad-clutch/#commentsMon, 30 Apr 2012 17:20:39 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=94063Earlier this month, we reported that Del Mar, California Goodguys participant Troy Borgen and his ’69 Camaro made use of Centerforce’s new DYAD clutch system. You probably already know that Centerforce’s DYAD assembly is unique in its lightweight, dual disc design, but this week Ridetech’s Greg Schneider takes us deeper into how the whole thing works.

As Schneider explains, Centerforce’s aim with the clutch was to manufacture a twin disc assembly that eliminated the problem of not being able to get the input shaft into the clutch from previous assemblies. The way that Centerforce achieves this is through the use of a unique, pin-driven system, “[Centerforce] eliminated that problem…the second disc actually couples to the first disc with drive pins and it’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Centerforce has also done extraordinary machine work on their new flywheel, allowing for a smaller and lighter assembly, “The flywheel itself…because we’re using a dual disc we don’t need a big diameter.” Centerforce’s DYAD clutch system is shipped with special plastic covers to keep the kit’s bolt threads from being scratched while in the box, and a set of special plugs for the transmission lines keeps fluid from spilling out during assembly.

The kit also features a spec card that includes a full breakdown of your system, showing you how to put it together. Aside from this initial spec card, the DYAD kit also features a separate spec sheet that features your system’s pressure check, along with the kit’s part and serial numbers.

All three of the steel components included in the clutch system are marked with timing marks, so that that combined with the kit’s spec sheet and card make assembling the clutch relatively easy while offering superior performance from a more refined, dual disc assembly.

Demon Fuel Systems are happy to announce the reissue of the street friendly, “Street Demon” carburetor. Currently available as a 625cfm unit, the 725 version of the Street Demon is expected to be reissued next week. Demon’s current 625 “Street Demon” began shipment on Monday, and the carburetor is designed to work with cam durations of up to 220 degrees at 0.050-inch lift. Production of the all new, 625cfm carb is expected to begin by this month.

Designed with street rods and mildly modded muscle as the focus, the Street Demon carb also features an electric choke with a smooth choke tower, and is engineered to bolt on to a square or spread bore patterned intake. Because of its mild manner and usability, the Street Demon has become among top choice for entry level performance applications, and its one of a kind “Goggle” valve allows for twice the airflow of the carb’s regular primaries.

BG have also announced that Demon’s “98” main bodies are also in current production, and work on fuel pump service parts is in progress. Formerly sold under the “BG Fuel Systems” name, the new parts will be sold exclusively under Demon.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/demon-rereleases-625-and-725-carburetors/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/04/Demon-1-BG-Fuel-400x333.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/04/Demon-1-BG-Fuel-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/04/Demon-1-BG-Fuel-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/04/Demon-1-BG-Fuel-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/image/2012/04/Demon-1-BG-Fuel-300x249.jpgVideo: Al Gamboa’s Z06 Runs Mid Nines At Dallashttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-al-gamboas-z06-runs-mid-nines-at-dallas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-al-gamboas-z06-runs-mid-nines-at-dallas
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-al-gamboas-z06-runs-mid-nines-at-dallas/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2012 17:16:11 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-al-gamboas-z06-runs-mid-nines-at-dallas/While our base of operations in SoCal offers year-round racing (when the tracks aren’t getting shut down by complaints from the neighbors, that is), there are dragstrips across the nation waking up from winter hibernation to the sounds of racers dusting off the cobwebs with a little test and tune action. Normally, you’d expect the quick pass of the day to belong to some rail or tube-frame car, but a couple of weeks ago, Al Gamboa was seen with his yellow Z06 at Dallas Raceway in Crandall, Texas where he ran the best run of the day. In our featured video, Gamboa pulls off an impressive pass of 9.52 at 143.98 MPH.

And with all of the go fast goodies that Gamboa has on his ‘Vette, it’s no wonder that his pass took top honors for the day. The bottom end of the motor in Gamboa’s Z06 is stock, while forced induction is made possible via a T-trim Vortech supercharger from A & A Corvette of Oxnard, California. This massive supercharger also breathes through a set of Trick Flow heads that add to the ‘Vette mill’s massive air consumption.

The yellow ‘Vette’s lumpy cam was selected by Brian Tooley, while an Alky Control methanol injection setup helps keep IAT under control. The ‘Vette’s PCM was installed and tuned by Bret Bradbury, and as you can see from our video, Bradbury is a most street and strip worthy engine tuner.

The weather was definitely not the most forgiving on Gamboa and his yellow Z06, and after it had become overcast, Gamboa simply was not able to muster up enough traction to run any faster than his 9.52 second pass that made him a track hero for the day.

That was okay though, because Gamboa looked good doing his over the top burnout at the Dallas Raceway starting line. The Corvette sounds more like a 747 as it screams violently before the Dallas Christmas tree. It not only sounds but runs ferocious, and Bret Bradbury’s fine tuning matched with A & A’s induction technology really shines through on the tarmac.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-al-gamboas-z06-runs-mid-nines-at-dallas/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/03/Gamboa-1-400x218.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/03/Gamboa-1-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/03/Gamboa-1-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/03/Gamboa-1-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/03/Gamboa-1-300x163.jpgVideo: Comp Shows How To Degree A Camshafthttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-comp-shows-how-to-degree-a-camshaft/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-comp-shows-how-to-degree-a-camshaft
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-comp-shows-how-to-degree-a-camshaft/#commentsFri, 24 Feb 2012 01:34:51 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/?p=85526Installing a performance cam in your street, strip or off road motor is mostly about timing. It’s also about knowing which numbers to average in order to come out with the correct figures. No one knows how complex yet rewarding the performance cam install process is like Comp Cams. In this detailed “how to” video on cam degreeing from Comp, several steps are recommended by the manufacturer to ensure that your performance cam has the most accurate lift and duration:

The Timing Set:

Upon initial install, Comp recommends bolting on your motor’s timing set without the lock plate in case later adjustments need to be made. Of paramount importance in installing the timing set is to make sure that the set is installed with both timing marks facing each other. The timing set on the small-block from Powerhouse Products featured in this video allows for various adjustment settings while making the 0-degree mark visibly clear to the engine builder.

Using Test Springs During Assembly:

As far as as a motor’s valve springs are concerned, the true springs can be used while degreeing a cam. Using the lightweight test springs featured in Powerhouse Products‘ cam degreeing kit is recommended, however.

The reason is because the test springs make it easier to turn the motor during assembly, while allowing the builder to install the valvetrain more accurately. In the case of motors with hydraulic lifters, the excessive force of the motor’s true valve springs can cause the lifters to collapse. For this reason also, use of the test springs is recommended.

Using Adjustable Pushrods Assembly:

Unless you have true pushrods of the correct length, Powerhouse’s adjustable test rods are recommended during pushrod assembly. In this instance, Powerhouse’s lightweight test springs must also be used as the test rods are unable to withstand the force of the motor’s springs, and the test rods will bend.

Lifters:

Applying a lightweight coat of engine assembly lube to the engines lifters upon initial install is crucial. Lubricating the lifters excessively can alter their radii.

For good measure, standard 30W motor oil (not synthetic) can be used if assembly lube is not available. Once they have been lubed, the lifters can be pulled later to be greased over more thoroughly.

Rocker Ratios and Valve Lash:

After installing your pushrods and rocker arms, it’s vital to make sure that all of your rockers are timed and adjusted to where the amount of valve lash is minimal. Excessive lash robs a motor of its performance by restricting valves from reaching their max amount of lift.

Degree Wheel Crank Socket:

There are different ways to attach the cam degree wheel to the motor, but using the recommended crank sprocket from Powerhouse Products promises to streamline the process. This is because Powerhouse’s crank sprocket features a slot that fits over the motor’s crank, with an adjustable screw that allows for minimum wobble during assembly. This allows for more accurate cam degree measurements.

Using The Wire Pointer:

The cam timing kit from Powerhouse Products features a simple wire pointer that easily bolts on to one of the motor’s water pump mounting holes. With the degree wheel installed and held securely in place by a locking collar, the wire pointer is installed as close to the front of the degree wheel as possible without actually touching it. This helps the builder to read the cam degree measurements with accuracy.

Establishing Top Dead Center:

The timing kit also features a piston stop that helps engine builders in establishing Top Dead Center (TDC). The stop threads into the motor’s combustion chambers deep enough to prevent the piston’s full sweep.

Before installing this stop, however, it’s important to use a flashlight to make sure that the piston is down inside the cylinder bore. With the piston stop inserted into the combustion chamber, the motor must be turned slowly in a clockwise direction until the piston stops.

Likewise, the motor must be turned slowly in a counter clockwise direction until the piston stops; the average between these two numbers is the motor’s TDC.

Once the TDC is established, return the degree wheel back to its 0 degree mark and tighten the lock collar firmly into place.

Using The Dial Indicator:

The final step before degreeing-in the cam is to install a dial indicator on the valve’s retainer. The indicator must be set to read off of the top of the retainers, and must be in line with the valve’s stem. The indicator features a user friendly stand that threads into the motor’s valve cover bolt holes, allowing for easy and precise calibration of the indicator.

Since the indicator reads off of the valve retainers and not the cam lobes, it’s crucial to make note of our rocker arm ratios in order to determine how much leverage is actually being produced at the valves. In the case of our featured small-block, the rocker ratio is 1.52:1. This number is multiplied by the lobe lift to figure out how much actual lift is at the valve, in this case 0.076-inch”

Turn the motor slowly clockwise until the dial indicator reads the amount of actual, calculated valve lift. Looking at the degree wheel, count the number of degrees from either TDC or BDC, whichever is closest. If the max lift is 0.076-inch, then you must continue to turn the motor in a clockwise direction until the valves are 0.076-inch away from closing. All measurements must be taken with the motor turning in a clockwise direction, since any slack on the timing chain can throw measurements off if the motor spins backwards.

To find duration, add the sum of your opening and closing numbers to 180 degrees. Assuming that we’ve calculated our duration, we must figure out the intake lobe centerline by rotating the motor clockwise until it’s reached max valve lift, zeroing out the dial indicator from that point. Then, turn the motor back and clockwise until it’s 0.050-inch below max lift, then 0.050-inch over. The intake centerline is the difference between the two numbers given on the degree wheel at these positions.

At this point in the cam install and timing process, most engine builders are satisfied. If not, then the process that has just been described above can be repeated verbatim on the exhaust lobe.

As technology of all sorts continue to evolve, there will always be certain inventions from the 1950s, a decade of invention, that never fail to re-prove themselves. Among these are television, microwave ovens and of course, the small-block V8 that has become the biggest part of our GM heritage.

Chevy’s development of the original small-block in 1955, their “Turbo-Fire,” 265 V8, was certainly not the only innovation in automotive during the decade, but it was that innovation that, according to Center for Automotive Research founder David Cole, first brought higher performance to the average auto consumer in America. Cole explains, “The small-block is the engine that brought high-performance to the people…there is an elegant simplicity in its design that made it instantly great when new and enables it to thrive almost six decades later.”

Chevy's first small-block V8 was introduced in 1955 as Chevy's 265-cube, "Turbo-Fire" motor. The motor produced 195 horsepower stock and was offered with a four-barrel carb as an option. The small-block motor was an invention of Chevy engineer, Ed Cole, whose team produced the overhead valve motor in only 15 weeks from scratch (Image Credit: Discovery Channel).

Cole’s father, the late Ed Cole, was the supervising engineer at Chevrolet in 1955 and oversaw production of the original small-block V8. Cole and his design team were trying to optimize the 6-cylinder only lineup that filled Chevy’s showrooms and dealerships during the Postwar era. An efficient and powerful alternative to Chevy’s “Stovebolt Six,” the original small-block motor was 265 cubic inches, which translates to 4.3 liters in metric terms. Since that time, few changes have been made to the now 57-year-old, small-block V8 design. In fact, the small-block’s oil filter has remained in its same position on the motor since the 1956 production year, and the 4.4 inch bore that Cole and his design team specified in the ’50s has also been maintained.

In terms of late model performance and tech, many GM enthusiasts would argue that there are few similarities between the conventional small-block and the current LS engine family. It’s true that the LS series has introduced many high-tech components into the small-block performance scene, such as variable cam timing, the use of an all-aluminum block and cylinder deactivation. But even though this is the case, the LS motor still revolves around some principal cornerstones of conventional, small-block construction; the LS engine family uses in-block camshafts and pushrods just like a conventional V8, along with other moving parts.

The LS9 motor featured in the ZR1 'Vette is built at GM'S Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan (Image credit: GM).

The LS series, in fact, reinforces Chevy’s small-block tradition. November 29th of 2011 marked the construction of GM’s 100 millionth small-block V8, as seasoned mechanic and contributing writer for Wheels.ca, Brian Early was asked in November to help assemble the supercharged, 6.2l LS9 motor that would represent GM’s ground breaking milestone. The LS9s are currently assembled, along with the LS3 and 7s, at GM’s Wixom Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan.

For a mere $5800, ‘Vette owners are given the option by GM to help assemble the LS9 mill that will be featured in their brand new ZR1, though most LS9 motors are assembled by one individual, called “Experimental Assemblers” by the Wixom Performance Center. Each unit is individually assembled and hand-built, in the same way that an AMG motor would be for Mercedes-Benz. The supercharged LS9 that marked GM’s 100 millionth small-block, however, will not be in use in any ZR1 Corvette. In fact, Brian Early has specificied that this LS9 will never run, being built for display purposes only. This is unlike any other LS engine that are produced in Wixom, which are test-fired on natural gas and balanced on site by GM.

It’s only a shame that we will never get to see this fire-breathing, LS9 under the clear hood of a new ZR1. However, as GM has already indicated a fifth-gen small-block is under development. Not much has been said about the fifth-generation motor. GM has confirmed that the latest generation of small-block will benefit from direct injection. The new V8 will also most likely be a pushrod motor, as small-block V8 history reminds us that the LT5 motor found in the ’90-’95 ZR1 Corvette was the only DOHC small-block ever built from the factory. GM has also indicated that some of these motors will be built from the St. Catharine’s plant, as the Gen IV motors are currently. According to Brian Early, GM has not said much about the small-block’s future other than this!

The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky is presenting the opportunity for the “common folk” to win a 2012 ‘Vette, while simultaneously helping the NCM to fund their everyday operations.

Typically, a ticket for the NCM raffle can run anywhere from $100 to $500, but today’s $10 raffle promises to give all entrees an opportunity to buy unlimited raffle tickets for super cheap. Participants are not required to be present at the raffle, but all entrees must have a valid driver’s license, be 18 or over to enter and must buy a ticket. As a second-place prize, NCM is giving away a beautiful, Corvette quilt. Handmade by Holly Anderson, wife of NCM Board Member Richard Anderson, the unique quilt features several generations of Corvette performance embroidered within its fabric.

The Corvette in question, however, is the true prize of this user friendly raffle. This is probably because the Torch Red coupe features so many cool options, including a transparent, removable roof panel, cashmere interior with crossed flag embroidery on the headrests, a 3LT package with Navigation, Sirius XM radio and a Bose premium, 9-speaker sound system, Dual Mode performance exhaust, a 6-speed automatic with paddle shift, 5-spoke chrome aluminum wheels and a battery protection package.

The drawing is scheduled for February 2nd at 3pm eastern. From there a ticket will be drawn, and one lucky winner will get to drive off in a brand new, Torch Red Corvette with “all the fixins.” And while the Corvette quilt that’s being offered as a second prize may not offer quite as exhilarating of an experience as the Torch Red ‘Vette itself, this year’s $10 raffle at the NCM will still prove to be quite the cultural phenomenon, even for the most discriminating Corvette enthusiast.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/the-10-raffle-returns-to-the-national-corvette-museum/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/02/NCM-2-400x240.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/02/NCM-2-400x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/02/NCM-2-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/02/NCM-2-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/02/NCM-2-300x180.jpgVideo: 160 MPH in a C6 on Public Roads – What Could Go Wrong?http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-160-mph-in-a-c6-on-public-roads-what-could-go-wrong/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-160-mph-in-a-c6-on-public-roads-what-could-go-wrong
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-160-mph-in-a-c6-on-public-roads-what-could-go-wrong/#commentsMon, 09 Jan 2012 20:12:05 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-160-mph-in-a-c6-on-public-roads-what-could-go-wrong/They say that if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. In this case, however, we do have to make a little exception and call people who do reckless things and then brag about it on YouTube… well, never mind what we’d like to call them, but it’s just not a very smart idea to speed in your car on a public freeway just so you can post it on the world’s largest, virtual video archive. In fact, our own Kevin Shaw reported in December of 2010 that an Oklahoma City local by the name of Cody Replogle was busted for videotaping himself doing 195 in a blown ‘Vette around OKC freeways, just to be found on YouTube by local police and prosecuted.

Apparently, not everyone got the message. “Richard,” on January 4th, posted this video on YouTube of himself doing 160 MPH on a Houston freeway in a C6 Corvette; in light of Replogle’s ordeal just two years ago, this was not a very good decision. Then again, posting the video was the last in a string of bad decisions, like ignoring the multiple warning lights and messages on the dashboard, driving with one hand so he could hold the video camera with the other, getting plenty of clear shots of his own face, and of course, doing more than double the speed limit in the middle of the day in traffic.

Well, Richard, if fame is what you’re looking for, we’re happy to help. Stay tuned to see if internet notoriety translates, once again, into attention from the police…

Pace Performance out of Boardman, Ohio does much more than run a successful parts and accessories mail-order business; they offer their services with a familiar kind of charm and atmosphere, making sure that customers get what they need on demand.

What makes Pace the most cutting-edge in the Ohio rod and muscle community is their unbeatable combination of service-on-demand with a vast parts inventory that is equally impressive.

As a matter of fact, Pace has a selection of over 10,000 parts, which means that Pace Performance most likely has what you need, even for the most die-hard motoring enthusiasts.

With that in mind, Pace is now offering up the 2012 Chevrolet Performance Catalog for a limited time. It’s there any horsepower-happy enthusiasts can find nearly every performance part or component to outfit their favorite Chevy. For 2012, the Chevrolet Performance Parts Catalog is all-new.

It includes a full-color publication, 352-pages deep, and it’s currently available for purchase through Pace Performance for a paltry, $2.75. Add in the free postage and it’s a catalog every enthusiast should have access to. The Pace catalog is an extensive resource that every backyard, GM mechanic is definitely going to want to have in their “little red” toolboxes.

]]>http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/2012-pace-performance-catalog/feed/0http://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/01/LS3-Connect-and-Cruise-1-400x224.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/01/PACE-catalogue-cover-PACE-Performance-388x267.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/01/PACE-catalogue-cover-PACE-Performance-240x160.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/01/PACE-catalogue-cover-PACE-Performance-120x80.jpghttp://www.corvetteonline.com/files/2012/01/PACE-catalogue-cover-PACE-Performance-300x388.jpgVideo: Late Model Racecraft’s ZR1 “Reaper” ‘Vette!http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-late-model-racecrafts-zr1-reaper-vette/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-late-model-racecrafts-zr1-reaper-vette
http://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-late-model-racecrafts-zr1-reaper-vette/#commentsSun, 01 Jan 2012 20:14:13 +0000Salvatore Alaimohttp://www.corvetteonline.com/news/video-late-model-racecrafts-zr1-reaper-vette/Late Model Racecraft, or LMR, out of Houston, Texas is currently offering a performance package for the ZR1 Corvette that brings GM’s blown, LS9-powered supercar to an astronomical 885bhp, achieving a world record quarter-mile run of 9.682 at 147mph. This record-shattering run happened on December 9th of this year, and it happened at the Royal Purple Raceway of Baytown, Texas.

The performance package is LMR’s own, ZR1-based “Reaper” package. The Corvette ZR1 that one could imagine GM custom-building for Darth Vader himself! The Reaper ZR1 from Late Model Racecraft still maintains the supercharged LS9 motor of the factory car, except that several motor mods have been made by LMR to give the already lethal ZR1 an even more competitive edge. Among these include a set of stainless steel, C6 ZR1 7/8 headers from American Racing, port-and-polished heads, ARP head bolts, NGK spark plugs with MSD, 8.5m plug wires, a C6 ZR1 high-flow intake and a Comp Cams, LS9 cam kit, including a custom-ground camshaft with a double valve spring kit and titanium retainers, good for up to .675 lift.

LMR’s “Reaper” ZR1 also features an ’09-’11, Corvette ZR1 harmonic balancer kit, and the ‘Vette’s cooling system features a 160-degree, LS9 thermostat. All of the ZR1’s head gaskets are from GM, and the Reaper package also includes LMR’s one-of-a-kind, “Mild to Wild” exhaust switch. Boasting itself as the world’s fastest ZR1 ‘Vette with a factory engine block, rotating assembly, and supercharger, LMR’S “Reaper” ZR1 is dyno-tuned and professionally built, and in light of the super ‘Vette’s world-record making status, LMR of Houston promises that you too may one day be able to own and drive what truly is, the world’s fastest ZR1 Corvette!

The early ‘Vette is by far one of the cleanest that we’ve seen, the original Roman Red paint and white convertible top offering an overwhelming, “Fabulous-Fifties” blast from the past like only certain, ’50s-model Chevys can. The car, as it currently stands, has good-to-excellent condition paint, and all of the ‘Vette’s chrome seems to be clean and intact, though moderate-to-severe scratches, patina and pitting can be found in certain places throughout the chrome.

Photo: Buyavette

The ‘Vette has red, vinyl interior, and is a fully-documented car with 59,673 original miles recorded. The car’s original, 170-horse 283 and 4-speed are intact, and the engine’s casting number, 3794226, corresponds to a 1958-63 283 engine that would’ve been installed in a Chevy passenger car or truck. The motor’s casting date also corresponds with the late 1962 calendar year, and the ‘Vette’s stamp pad reveals a “D” suffix, which corresponds with the 170-185bhp, 283 option for Chev’s passenger cars and trucks from 1958-60.

The factory-correct 283 under the hood of this ’59 ‘Vette convertible wears a pair of pre-1967, 350 horse-style Corvette valve covers made from aluminum. Other parts that have been replaced on the early ‘Vette include the gas tank, sending unit and floor mats, and the frame appears to be solid with no rust.

Photo: Buyavette

All together, this ’59 Vette is ready to roll and is in desperate search for an early-‘Vette enthusiast who would be willing to give the ride a new home.

While Zora-Arkus Duntov, a Russian-born engineer, was working for Chevrolet during the mid 1950s, he began to tinker with the Corvette that became his first “test mule.” Long before the ‘Vette became the patron saint of road-race America, Duntov was interested in finding ways to make the Corvette compete or keep-up with the best, including Jaguar, that the small sports car market of the ’50s had to offer.

About a year and a half earlier, GM chief engineer and Indy 500 veteran, Mauri Rose, worked with Daytona racing legend Smokey Yunick to build an experimental version of a ’54 Vette that had a prototype V8 engine in it, the same V8 that Duntov himself later punched-out from a 283 to a 307 cubic-inch, race-built motor. After testing was finished on the prototype ‘Vette, it was given the factory designation of EX87 by Engineering and given by them to Duntov so that he could run the car at an upcoming record run at Daytona Beach in January of 1956. Upon acquiring the EX87 car, Duntov modified it by replacing the windshield with a curved, race-profile windscreen, a tonneau cover over the passenger side of the car and a fiberglass headrest-fin that was built for high-speed stability – all design techniques that Duntov had learned from Jaguar.

Another major modification that Duntov made to the ‘Vette was its prototype racing V8, an engine build that would become the EX87’s most distinguishing feature. Duntov not only bored the 283 to a 307 cubic-inch displacement, but custom-ordered a camshaft from Chevy Engineering that would help the very first, V8-powered ‘Vette to achieve a top speed of 163 MPH at GM’s Arizona Desert Proving Ground. Today, these kind of track speeds are very much taken for granted, but a top speed of over 160 was phenomenal by 1955 standards.

Sadly, the race legend who was Smokey Yunick passed away in 2001, leaving behind a garage full of automotive relics. His widow had asked his old friend, Steve Tate, if he would like to come to Daytona to look at some stuff that Yunick had left behind. Sure enough, Tate came across a specially-marked engine, the 307 V8 that was built for the EX87, and it was labeled “Record Run.” Tate would buy the engine, along with its original logbook from Chevy. He would eventually track down the EX87 car as well, and would get together with close friends to spend the next year restoring it. Still known as the very first V8 ‘Vette, the EX87 is a rare piece of performance history that will always be remembered as “the original.”